


the love you left behind

by Axelrocks



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:54:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 34,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Axelrocks/pseuds/Axelrocks
Summary: Because of Ignis and Prompto's relationship, Prompto is not allowed to go on the roadtrip to Altissia. Then, Insomnia falls...
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 67
Kudos: 257





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While struggling to write for my other works, I decided to start something new. Such a good idea when one has many WIPs, right? So I glanced back at the prompts from Promnis week last year and one stuck out to me. So I ran with it. I'm actually quite happy with what I have so far :)
> 
> Thank you for giving this a chance and I hope you enjoy!

Sometimes, Prompto's home felt like a prison.

While there were no barred windows or locked doors, his parents rarely visited and he was allotted one phone call from them every couple of weeks. And, if he were honest, his cooking probably rivaled that served in a correctional facility.

Prompto was fifteen. He knew he should be happy that his parents weren't there to constantly breathe down his neck and enforce curfews, like the parents of so many of his peers. He could stay up as late as he wanted, eat whatever he wanted and go out whenever he wanted. However, by the age of thirteen, he had to do his own laundry, make his own lunch and balance his own checkbook.

Okay, the last was a lie. There were apps for that. But he did have to make sure he never overspent.

While his peers were grumbling about having to be home by ten on school nights, Prompto had to think about what's in his fridge to have for supper. While his classmates got allowances and birthday parties, Prompto had to learn how to budget and hope his parents remembered his birthday this time and sent him a gift.

Despite all of that, Prompto knew his parents loved him, they just never really  _ cared _ for him. His mother never tucked him in or told him bedtime stories. His father never played with him in the backyard. They were too tired and too busy for all of that.

Prompto loved his parents and they loved him. But maybe he was a little glad they hadn't filled his days with laughter and fun because if they had, he would have felt less lonely. It sounded crazy to admit that. Didn't people  _ want _ to feel less alone? 

But if he had felt less lonely, he wouldn't have gathered the courage to become friends with Prince Noctis. And if he hadn't befriended the prince, Prompto would have never met Ignis.

The love of his life.

\-------------------

At nineteen, Prompto's home no longer felt like a prison. It no longer felt that way because he had a new home now. With Ignis.

Gone are lonely mornings and even lonelier nights. Now, he goes to bed curled around Ignis every night and is woken up to the sound of him making breakfast in the morning (if Prompto hadn't persuaded him to stay in bed a little longer).

They had been together a year and a half, which was crazy for Prompto to think about. While he didn't think he would end up alone, he never thought he would be dating the world's most perfect man for over a year.

Ignis had waited until Prompto turned eighteen before asking him out.

"Were you afraid someone would think you were robbing the cradle?" Prompto had asked during their first date.

"No," Ignis had replied while primly folded a napkin in his lap. "I was just simply waiting for you to become mature enough for me."

"Hey!"

"Though, I'm still a tad bit unsure about that." Ignis had winked and kicked Prompto lightly under the table. The rest of the night had passed beautifully and if Prompto hadn't already been in love with the man, he had definitely fallen that night.

After Prompto graduated from high school, Ignis had asked for him to move in. The blonde hadn't hesitated to say yes. By that weekend, all of his things were in Ignis' apartment.

Living with Ignis for almost a year had Prompto mostly forgetting the lonely days spent in his parent's house.

"Good morning, love," Ignis greeted from his place in front of the stove. He was still wearing the sweatpants and t-shirt he had worn to bed. His hair hadn't even been brushed yet. This was the Ignis only Prompto got to see, thus it was his favorite.

"Morning," Prompto responded and went to wrap his arms around his love's waist. He kissed the exposed part of Ignis' neck. "Thought we could shower together since our schedules are similar today." Ignis was expected at the Citadel for early meetings and Prompto had his last final exam of the semester.

"I heard sex helps get the brain juices running." Prompto's hands started to wander lower on Ignis' body and he wondered how much Ignis would let happen before swatting his hands away.

"Remember what happened last time we attempted that in the shower?" Ignis smacked Prompto's hand before it could slip under the elastic band of his pants. "I, for one, don't want a repeat. I thought for a moment you had gotten a concussion."

Prompto pouted and pulled away from his boyfriend. "That's why we got those chocobo adhesives for the tub." But he knew when he had lost an argument so he took his seat at the table and continued to pout.

"Sorry, darling." Ignis pressed a loud, smacking kiss to Prompto's forehead before sliding a plate full of bacon and eggs in front of him. "I can't risk a trip to the emergency room now."

In just a few short days, they would accompany the Prince and his Shield on a journey to Altissia, where Noct would be reunited with his childhood friend, Luna. The two of them would be marrying, forming a union between Lucis and Tenebrae. While Noct didn't seem too excited to be married, he was excited to see Luna.

"I've been quite looking forward to our trip." Ignis took the seat across from Prompto with his own meal.

"Because you'll be seeing your uncle and Tenebrae after so many years away." After the wedding, the newlyweds, plus Noct's entourage, would be spending time in Lady Lunafreya's home country.

"There is that but also because I'll get to spend more time with you." Ignis slid a hand across the table to cover one of Prompto's. "And I heard that Altissia is an extremely romantic place to be. Though, I don't know how much of it we'll see."

"Yeah, because we gotta help Noct with his wedding stuff," Prompto sighed.

"No, because I plan on keeping you in our room as much as possible."

Prompto blushed hard at the implication. "Iggy..."

Ignis let go of Prompto's hand and smiled. In that smile, Prompto saw all the things that Ignis wanted to do with him while in Altissia. His stomach tingled with anticipation and arousal.

"I can't wait."

\-------------------

Later that morning, after a quick shower together (of course no funny business was allowed), Ignis dropped Prompto off at the university with a lingering kiss and a whispered good luck. Earlier Ignis had promised Prompto a reward if he passed his exams. Seeing as it was his photography final, there was no doubt in Prompto's mind that he'd pass.

Waving enthusiastically as Ignis drove away, Prompto waited until he could no longer see his boyfriend's sleek, black car before hiking up his book bag and ascending the stairs that led into the building. Other students loitered on the stone steps and the hallways, waiting for their finals to begin and eager for their summer vacation to finally start.

When Prompto and Noctis had graduated high school, the latter had told Prompto that there was no need for his best friend to go to college. It had all started when Prompto had looked at the tuition for Insomnia University and internally started crying (Okay, maybe a few tears did eek out).

"You can just join the Crownsguard," the raven-haired prince had said. "Specs is one. You'd get paid to train and once you become one, then you'll have to go to every boring event with me."

The idea had appealed to Prompto but he had still wanted to get a degree, something to fall back on if he failed to become a Crownsguard. So, in between training, he went to class and in just a few short days, he would be taking the final test to become a Crownsguard. Now that was the exam that made him the most nervous. If he didn't pass, then he wouldn't be allowed to go with Noct on his trip. But even Gladio had assured him that he was good enough to pass and, to Prompto, that was the highest praise he could get.

Prompto walked into the lecture hall on the second floor and found a seat by the aisle so that when he finished, he wouldn't disturb anyone as he made his exit. 

His mind drifted back to the wedding trip as he waited for the professor to appear. At fourteen, if anyone had told him that someday he would be the Prince's best friend, Ignis Scientia's boyfriend, a Crownsguard about to partake on a cross-country journey, he would have laughed and told himself to quit dreaming.

\-------------------

When Ignis had first laid eyes on Prompto the first day Noctis had asked to give him a ride, Ignis had been taken with the shy freckled, blonde boy. He had been polite and blushed every time Ignis glanced his way.

That wasn't why he had told Noct yes, though. It was because Prompto had been the first person Noct had ever brought over for Ignis to meet, the first person from his school that he had called friend.

Ignis had been worried for a while that Noct would only have him and Gladio in his life. They had been chosen for Noct and were there for his protection and to give guidance. However that did not mean they cared for the Prince any less (even though he and Gladio's relationship had been a little rocky in the beginning). It was nice for Noctis to choose someone himself.

Of course there would be background checks to make sure all was well. But Prompto didn't look like he could harm a fly, let alone the sole heir to the throne. One couldn't be too sure, though.

When Ignis was nineteen and Prompto was seventeen, he could have sworn the younger man was plotting to kill him. A switch had seemingly been flipped overnight in the blonde. Before Prompto had been a stuttering, blushing mess around Ignis. Now, he seemed more comfortable and had even started to flirt.

And gods help him, Ignis flirted back.

A week after Promtpo had turned eighteen, things between them became official. Prompto often joked that Ignis had waited for him to become legal but in reality it was when Ignis had finally decided to do something for himself.

All his life, Ignis thought he'd be alone. Sure, he would always have Noct and Gladio and while they were dear friends, they would always be tied up in his duty to the crown. Taking care of Noct was a twenty-four hour job and there had been no time for romance. Then, along came Prompto and everything changed.

They had been dating for a little over six months when Ignis had asked Prompto to move in with him. He had hated how Prompto would go home to an empty house, when he was not spending the night with Ignis, and had decided it was time to take the next step in their relationship.

In all honesty, Ignis knew that Prompto was the one for him within that first month. Though opposites in many ways, they brought out the best in each other. Prompto made Ignis unwind and Ignis helped Prompto with his insecurities and confidence. 

They looked like an odd couple but Ignis knew they were the  _ perfect _ couple.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos! :)

Ignis smiled as he glimpsed at Prompto wildly waving in the rearview mirror before he turned down a street and made his way to the Citadel.

Today, there would be a lot on his schedule, meaning he probably would not be home until late. However, they would be finalizing the plans for Noct's wedding trip, which would be happening in little over a week.

Ignis couldn't wait.

He couldn't wait to go over the itinerary, either.

It would take them two days to get to Galdin Quay, (they would be stopping in Hammerhead overnight) in which Ignis would most-likely be doing all of the driving. However, they were allowed a few days to explore before the ferry was set to leave from the Quay. Ignis planned on taking advantage of the clear, sandy beaches and a seaside room that overlooked the crystal clear water. (If he had his way and no duty to attend Noct, he would have made sure he and Prompto didn't leave the room much).

Then, after they arrived in Altissia, they would be granted another week to finalize last minute details for the wedding and to do a bit of sight-seeing. A month in Tenebrae would follow in which Luna and Noct would enjoy their honeymoon and Ignis got to show Prompto around his home country. Of course, he would still need to attend to Noct but his duties would be lightened. Noct had also granted him a week off completely so that Ignis could travel to his uncle's home with Prompto and have his love meet the only family he had left.

Prompto was worried about meeting Ignis' uncle. After all, the man had raised him and had helped shape Ignis into the man he was today. But the blonde also knew that this was the next step in their relationship. After all, Ignis had met Prompto's parents, albeit briefly a few months prior.

They had seemed to approve of Ignis, which he had been grateful for. (Not that he would have stopped seeing Prompto if they hadn't. When one is not at home to take care of their son, they're opinions on their son's boyfriend are not very valid).

Ignis finally made it to his office, after being stopped by three people who all had questions that could absolutely not wait. Once there, he sifted through the few papers left out on his desk and looked over his schedule for the day. Noct should be there in an hour so that they could walk down to the meeting together.

Gladio would also be there but he would be coming after training, which was at the opposite end of the Citadel. The meeting would consist of the King Regis, his Shield Clarus, Noctis, Ignis and Gladio. All people involved in the upcoming road trip with the exception of Cor, who did not go to many meetings and Prompto, who had not been asked to come since he was not a full-fledged Crownsguard, yet. Ignis would be filling him in later.

Ignis startled a little when not ten minutes later there was a loud throat-clearing at his door. He looked up from his work and was shocked to see Noct leaning against the doorframe.

"You're early." 

Ignis glanced down at his watch, thinking that he had been working longer than he thought. He hadn't.

"Actually, I'm on time. Clarus moved the meeting up. Dad wanted me to come get you. Gladio's already there."

Ignis glanced at his emails and didn't one informing him about the change of schedule. However, much like Gladio, his father was not one for technology. He still would have liked some kind of notice.

"Is there a specific reason why he wants it earlier?"

While King Regis was, well the King, Clarus took charge of some things. Especially if it dealt with the safety of the royal family.

Noctis shrugged. "Don't know. I was just told to come get you."

Ignis sighed. "Very well, then." He gathered what he would need for the meeting and followed Noct out the door. Maybe with it being earlier, Ignis would be able to get his other things down earlier and he'd be home before six.

Imagining Prompto's shocked face when he walked through the door while the sun was still out brought a smile to Ignis' face.

\------------

Twenty minutes later, Ignis' smile was no longer there and neither was Noctis'. In fact, the latter was  _ seething _ . Ignis didn't think he had ever seen the prince so angry.

"You can't do this!" The raven-haired young man all but shouted at the man seated next to his father. Clarus Amicitia. "He's a Crownsguard and I chose him to come with. You can't decide this now, when the trip is only a week away!"

Clarus remained calm, like someone who has dealt with angry young men before. "Technically, Your Highness, he hasn't passed the exam to become a Crownsguard, yet."

"You and I both know he will," Noct challenged before turning to look at the man sitting next to Clarus. "Dad, tell him how hard Prom's been working for this trip and how much of an asset he'll be. No one's going to get within twenty feet of me. Literally. He'll shoot them."

King Regis spoke for the first time since greeting them. "I believe Prompto is a very skilled young man who is capable of keeping you safe-"

"Then, why are you saying he can't go?"

Ignis flinched, much like he when Clarus had made the announcement that there was a change in who would be accompanying Noctis to Tenebrae and that Prompto was no longer going. Arguments arose once those words had left the older man's mouth. Noct and Gladio had been quick to protest. Ignis had sat frozen.

All of his plans with his beloved were dashed. Gone. Ripped away. There would be no talking Clarus out of his decision. He was more stubborn than Gladio, especially when it came to protecting the king and his son.

"If Prompto were to go, there would be a conflict of interest," Clarus said calmly as if he wasn't ripping Ignis' heart out. "Two of your Crownsguard are in a relationship. Who is to say that they won't prioritize your safety over that of their significant other?"

"To insinuate that Ignis or Prompto wouldn't do their duty is the highest insult you can give them."

"Noct is right, dad," Gladio chimed in. "You won't find two people more devoted to Noct's safety than the kid and Iggy. And myself, of course. We'd die for Noct."

"Do you know that for absolute sure?" Clarus asked, looking right at Ignis, who still hadn't said a word. "If Prompto and Noctis were both in mortal danger and you could only save one, who would it be?"

"The both of us won't be in th-"

"Noct," King Regis spoke sharply and effectively silenced his son. Then, he looked at Ignis.

"I'm sorry, my boy," he said gravely. "I entrust you with my son's life. But I need to know what you would do in this situation. I am not saying that Prompto's life is any less important..."

"But Noctis is the only heir to the throne," Clarus added.

"Noctis," Ignis finally choked out. "I'd save Noctis."

The answer broke him. Prompto was the love of his life and he prayed nothing ever bad happened to him. But Noct was his duty and that had to come first. No matter how much it hurt.

"We all just witnessed how hard that was for him to say." Clarus, of course, hadn't missed a thing. "So, I am very sorry, Prince Noctis, but we cannot allow Prompto to accompany you on this trip."

Noctis looked over at his father, begging with his eyes. The king sadly shook his head, decision made. Noct stood from the table, chair loudly scraping across the floor, and looked angrier than Ignis had ever seen him.

"Not only am I being forced to marry, now my  _ best friend _ can't be there when I do." He looked right at Clarus. " _ Fuck _ this meeting."

Everyone at the table knew he had meant it as a  _ fuck you  _ to Clarus.

Later, Ignis would reprimand him for his conduct but right now, he felt that Noct's parting words were very appropriate.

King Regis looked just as upset as his son as he cradled his head in his hands. Clarus, on the other hand, looked annoyed (and Ignis hated how much Gladio looked like his father at that moment).

"Look, dad," the before mentioned man spoke. "I understand where you're coming from but you should have decided this in the beginning. This isn't fair to Noct and he is already under enough stress."

Ignis silently thanked Gladio for speaking up when his own voice seemed clogged in his throat.

"My duty is to protect the king and, by extension, his son. Even if there's a  _ hint _ that their safety may be compromised, I will put an end to it. As should be the case for you when you are in my position in the future.

"Though," Clarus continued. "I will admit that you are right, Gladiolus. I should have made this decision much sooner. But I was just recently informed that Ignis and Prompto were living together. Up to then, I had thought the relationship was no more than a fling."

"Prompto's more than a fling!" Ignis hissed, suddenly finding his voice when his love had been insulted.

"We know this, Ignis," King Regis spoke, lifting his head. "Even a fool could see how much the two of you care for one another." He shot his Shield a glare (and Ignis allowed himself a smile at how much Regis looked much like Noctis).

"We also know that you take great pride in your duty to Noctis. I don't want you to have to go through a situation where you will have to make that tough decision. This is why I have taken Clarus' side in this matter, though it pained me to do so."

"You do not have to explain yourself, Your Majesty."

"Yes, I do. I owe you at least that much, Ignis. I have also decided that while Noct and his new bride return to Insomnia, I will send Cor and Prompto to meet you all in Altissia. Cor will take your place, Ignis and Prompto will stay with you. Together, you will have two weeks leave."

Ignis knew the offer was generous and he should be glad that the king was offering him anything at all. But there would still be two months where Prompto and Ignis would be spending time apart.

In two weeks, they could see some of Altissia and Tenebrae. They could visit Ignis' uncle and stay with him for a few days on the Scientia estate. At least they would get to spend some time together and Ignis wasn't going to complain about the king's generosity.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I greatly...appreciate it."

After that, they finally got down to business. Ignis made sure to write notes down for Noct to go over later even though his heart was no longer in the meeting. Gladio spoke up more than he ever had in a meeting and Ignis was grateful to his friend for picking up his slack.

Once the meeting concluded, Gladio stayed behind to talk more with his father. Ignis nodded his farewell to the bigger man and went to find Noct. He knew the younger man hadn't gone far. Whenever Noct got upset, there was one place in the Citadel he would go.

Ignis found himself in the gardens and soon found Noct.

The dark-haired man was pacing but stopped when he saw Ignis approach.

"They didn't change their minds, did they?" Ignis shook his head and Noct sighed before sinking to sit on a stone bench. Ignis joined him.

"I feel bad for unloading all of that on my dad." He ran a hand through his hair. "But dammit, Specs. What are we going to do without Prompto?"

For that, Ignis had no answer.

\------------------

Prompto greeted Ignis at the door later that evening with a smile and a kiss. He looked positively giddy. As Ignis took off his shoes, Prompto hopped from foot to foot, unable to stand still.

Ignis wasn't going to hate wiping that smile from his pretty face later.

The moment Ignis' shoes were neatly placed by the door, Prompto was grabbing his hands and dragging him to the kitchen. On their small table, dinner was already laid out and smelling heavenly.

While Ignis appreciated the gesture, he had hoped to use dinner preparations to go over how he was going to break the bad news to his love.

"Is this why you're so happy?" Ignis asked.

"Nope!" Prompto pulled a chair out for Ignis and kissed his cheek when he took the seat. Prompto took the seat across from him and wiggled happily in it.

"My professor emailed me earlier. He said that I received a perfect on the final today. He said I was the only one to do so!"

A genuine smile spread across Ignis's face. "Prompto, that's wonderful! I knew you were capable of perfection."

The younger man's face flamed. "So...I was thinking about that reward you owe me."

"Ah, yes. A promise is a promise. What would you like, dear Prompto?" If he hadn't just been told horrible news earlier in the day, Ignis would have delivered that line with a little more coyness.

"Well, I think I'm going to wait to redeem it." He squirmed in his seat, now more out of embarrassment. "Like maybe when we're in Altissia? Where we can get a room with a large window with a great view and a huge bath that's big enough for the both of us."

That sounded like a nice reward. More than likely, it would feel like a reward to Ignis, as well. But Promtpto would not be going to Altissia. At least not for a while.

Ignis heart broke again.

"Prompto, darling. There's something I need to tell you."

Instantly, Prompto's smile vanished and his shoulders tensed. He was already preparing himself for the bad news. "What is it, Iggy?" 

Ignis dug his fingers in his thighs and clenched his teeth while not looking at his boyfriend. He didn't want to do this. He  _ couldn't _ do this.

But he had to.

He couldn't leave Promtpo a week from now without saying a word.

"As you know, today we had our final meeting concerning the trip." Ignis finally managed to say and looked up. Prompto nodded, looking worried. Ignis knew it was partly because he was acting strange.

"Clarus has decided that..." He didn't want to say.

"What?" Prompto leaned forward and grabbed one of Ignis' hands in both of his. His elbow almost landed in one of the food dishes but he hadn't seemed to care. His focus was entirely on Ignis. "You're scaring me."

Ignis took a deep breath. "He's decided that you can no longer come with us."

Prompto let go of Ignis' hands and slumped back into his chair. He looked deflated and drained. The flush from earlier was gone. "What? Was it-was it something I did?"

Ignis' heart shattered at the frightened way Prompto had asked that, hated that the blonde was now curling in on himself as if he was to blame. So easily he went back to self-blaming habits.

"No, darling. You've done  _ nothing _ wrong." Ignis felt his anger toward Clarus spark. "It's because we're in a relationship. They fear we will not protect Noct as we should because we'd be too concerned for one another."

"But that's something we talked about before we got together. Our duty to Noct. Did you tell them we wouldn't let anything happen to him?"

"Noctis did, actually. But his protests fell on deaf ears I'm afraid."

"Oh," Prompto said sadly.

Ignis fiddled with the edge of the table cloth, uncertain for once in his life on how to proceed. Everything in him wanted to swipe the food to the floor and pull Prompto into his arms but Prompto had worked so hard on the meal. So, the only thing he could do was suggest to talk about it later.

"Let's talk more about this later. Your delicious meal is getting cold."

"You haven't even tasted it, yet!" Prompto said with a weak smile.

"Doesn't mean I don't already know it's going to be delicious."

Talking was no more after that. The pair quietly ate and quietly cleaned up together. What had been a happy occasion concerning Prompto's perfect final score had been soured by the decision made at the Citadel that morning.

Ignis, feeling drained from the events of the day, collapsed into his favorite armchair and tugged Prompto down in his lap. The blonde curled his body and placed his head on Ignis' shoulder.

"I'm sorry that this is happening, sweetheart," Ignis said into Prompto's sweet-smelling hair as he pressed his face there. "I was so looking forward to having you with me and seeing the world together."

"You'll just have to take tons of pictures and send them to me," Prompto sniffled and wrapped his arms tightly around Ignis. "So that it's like I'm there with you."

Ignis held him tighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for making Clarus the bad guy :(


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a little shorter than the others.
> 
> Thanks for reading!

The day of their departure was a somber affair and had come entirely too quickly.

That morning, Ignis had stayed as late as he possibly could in bed with Prompto. Part of him wondered what would happen if he just didn't show up to the Citadel that morning and demanded that he would go nowhere unless Prompto was with him.

No. He couldn't do that to Noct. He needed to be there as an advisor and as a buffer between Noct and Gladio, who occasionally butted heads. And he would also need to be the ear for Noct to vent all of his frustrations since Prompto would not be there to do so.

"Ung...stay," Prompto had mumbled and plastered himself to Ignis' side when he had started to move. They had not gotten much sleep the night before, the numerous marks on Prompto's pale skin and the stinging on Ignis' back were evidence of that.

"Come on, sweetheart. Time to get up." Ignis leaned down to kiss Prompto's forehead.

Prompto's nose scrunched up. "You missed." Eyes closed still he tilted his chin up.

"My apologies." He kissed Prompto sweetly on the lips, earning him a smile from his lover. "I probably should work on my aim if I am to protect Noct with my daggers."

After more kisses and a bribe to share a shower, Prompto had finally gotten out of bed.

Now, Noct, Ignis and Gladio stood on the steps of the Citadel in front of King Regis and his Shield, Clarus. Behind them, the majestic Regalia was parked.

In the days since the meeting, Noct had reconciled with his father but there was still a bit of tension between Clarus and the prince. Especially with Prompto standing at the bottom of the stone steps, apart from them.

Prompto looked extremely uncomfortable as he looked up at them. Ignis wished he was right there beside him.

After making their final bows to the King, the three of them made a beeline to Prompto. Noct reached him first and all but jumped into his best friend's arms.

Prompto accepted him with a laugh that sounded a little watery and a grip just as tight.

Gladio came next and lifted the pair off their feet in a giant hug. There was a lot of laughing and hair ruffling once the big man placed them safely back on the ground. When it was Ignis' turn to approach, Gladio and Noctis stepped away.

Prompto had thrown himself into Ignis' arms and Ignis held him close. They had said their more private goodbyes the night before. Now all they could do was cling to one another and try not to cry. Though Prompto had already started to sniffle.

"I am going to miss you so much, my love," Ignis whispered.

"Me too, Igs. Just make sure to call me everyday, okay? So I know you're safe."

"I will, darling." Ignis pulled away and looked down at his freckled, beautiful lover. It was the face he would not be waking up to every morning for the next two months. It would be the face he missed the most.

"I love you."

Prompto went up on his toes and gave Ignis a long, deep kiss. Ignis didn't care who was watching and returned the kiss with just as much fervor. It was going to be one of the last kisses they would share for two months and Ignis was going to savor it.

Prompto was the first to pull away from the embrace and smiled sadly up at Ignis, lips a pretty red. "I think it's time for you to leave."

"I don't want to go." Ignis didn't care that he sounded like a petulant child. 

"I don't want you to go either, babe." The blonde cupped the taller man's cheek. "But the sooner you go, the sooner you can come back to me."

Ignis wasn't so sure about that. The next two months were going to feel like an eternity.

Ignis gripped Prompto’s hand and followed Noctis and Gladio to the Regalia. The sun gleamed off the black surface. It truly lived up to its name and it would be an honor to be able to drive it. But right now, it was the thing that would be taking him away from Prompto...so he had mixed feelings about the vehicle, as silly as that sounded.

Though, he briefly wondered what would happen if they were to drag Prompto into the car with them and drove off.

They wouldn't make it past the wall.

Before they climbed into the car, there was another round of hugs and a kiss from Ignis. Noct flipped the switch so that the top of the Regalia folded back. It was a nice day out but they knew the prince had done it so that they could continue waving to Prompto.

As they drove off, Ignis couldn't take his eyes off the rearview mirror where he could still see Prompto waving at them, tears streaming down his face.

It took everything in Ignis to not turn around and tell King Regis that he was staying. That he would need to find someone else to go with Noctis because he couldn’t leave Prompto behind.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments and kudos!
> 
> So this story is going to be pretty AU. I thought I was going to keep close to canon but realized as I was writing it that I forgot about some parts that actually happened in the game and...oops.
> 
> So King Regis had no idea that Niflheim was going to attack. If he did, he would have definitely had Prompto go with his son. I'm using Cor a little differently than in the game. Also, I have no idea now if Luna will make an appearance or not.
> 
> I hope you all still enjoy reading!! <3

Hammerhead could have been Altissia for how beautiful it looked once the three of them finally arrived.

What had started out as perfect conditions for a road trip, clear and sunny skies, turned to hell when the Regalia started making noises and stopped running. In the middle of nowhere. During the hottest part of the day.

If that had been any indication of how the rest of the trip was going to go, Ignis had half a mind to start walking back to Insomnia.

Fortunately, they hadn't needed to push the Regalia the whole way to Hammerhead (though the distance they did have to push the car had been excruciating). A tow truck driven by a pretty blonde mechanic named Cindy came to their rescue. She had towed them to Hammerhead and got right to work on the royal vehicle.

The car would take some time to fix and they had agreed to do some odd hunting jobs around the place in the meantime starting the next day. The three didn't mind the jobs, knowing it would help them see how they worked as a team on the road.

As the car was rolled into the shop, Gladio went off to inquire about renting out the caravan for their stay and Ignis and Noct headed toward the diner to order food.

Noct stopped them before they reached the door. "I'm perfectly capable of ordering food for us," he said, turning to his Advisor with a smirk. "Why don't you call Prompto? I'm sure he's waiting to hear that we got to Hammerhead all right."

If Ignis was a different man, a man more like Prompto, he would have crushed Noct in a hug before taking out his cellphone and walking around the side of the diner for more privacy.

Prompto answered on the first ring, as if he had been waiting around for the call. Which knowing him, he had. He answered with a happy, "Iggy!"

"Hello, love." Instantly Ignis felt his shoulders relax upon hearing the familiar voice. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine the two of them sitting in their living room, cuddled together and talking quietly.

"Did you guys get to Hammerhead, okay? I thought you were supposed to be there hours ago."

In the two days it would take to get to Galdin Quay, Hammerhead had been the place to stop for the night. King Regis had made that decision, saying that he had an old friend that lived there. They had briefly met Cid Sophiar as Cindy was bringing the Regalia to the garage.

"We just arrived a little bit ago. A few hours out from Insomnia, the Regalia ceased to run."

"No way," Prompto chuckled. "What luck? You would think the Citadel would have made sure everything was perfect."

Ignis agreed. "Well, it seems they may have overlooked this small thing?"

"Not so small if it's the thing taking you to Altissia."

"True," Ignis laughed.

"I still wish I was there. Even though having to push a car would have put me on the brink of death."

"Ever the dramatic one, are we?"

"You know you love it," Prompto taunted.

"I do. There isn't anything about you that I don't love."

"Really? Even my singing?"

Ignis couldn't help wince, remembering all the times he'd woken up to Prompto's 'singing' in the shower. Most of the time he was singing the chocobo jingle or some variation. It _ always _ got stuck in Ignis' head afterwards.

"Yes," he finally said. "I even love your singing."

In the end, Noctis had to come find Ignis and drag him inside the diner to finally eat. Gladio was already seated in a booth, waiting.

"Who would have thought I would be the one to make sure you ate?" Noct huffed after Ignis had said his goodbye to Prompto.

"There's a first for everything," Ignis quipped and slipped his phone into his pocket as he followed Noct to the booth.

There weren't many customers in the diner, since it was well past the time many people ate dinner. The man behind the counter waved when Ignis and Noct walked in and the dark-haired man gave him a nod of acknowledgement. Gladio was already wolfing down a hamburger when they approached and just shrugged off Noct's glare.

"Couldn't wait," he said with his mouth full. "Starving. Since I did most of the work pushing that damn car."

Knowing an argument was about to erupt between the two, Ignis jumped in. "Prompto says hello, by the way." He slid across the plastic veneer of the booth across from Gladio and made room for Noct.

That seemed to distract the other two men. Thankfully.

"Did you tell the little guy we miss him already?"

"Of course."

An extra portion of lettuce and tomato appeared on Ignis' plate and he didn't flinch. This had occurred numerous times in the past. It just meant he would need to start hiding more vegetables in the prince's meals.

"You know that's made from tomatoes," he said as he watched Noct smother his fries in ketchup.

"Doesn't taste like them and that's all that matters." He stuffed a handful into his mouth and turned to Ignis purposefully.

Ignis sighed and offered Gladio the other tomato. The bigger man had already finished off his burger and half his fries. He took the offering and popped it into his mouth.

"Prom wants us to play King's Knight once we get settled for the night," Noct said sometime later. "He just texted me a few minutes ago."

"Sounds fine to me," Gladio responded and leaned back in the booth, ignoring the creaks it made. "Let's make it interesting, though. Winner gets the big bed in the caravan and the loser gets the floor."

The caravan had a full size bed in the back that could fit two people, if one wasn't Gladio. The table also turned into a twin bed. Essentially, it could comfortably fit the three of them but sometimes they wanted to make each other's lives difficult...or at the very least, uncomfortable.

"So, what if Prompto wins?" Noct asked.

Gladio shrugged. "Then, he can choose who gets the bed."

Noct slumped in his seat and glared over at his Advisor. "So...Specs?"

Ignis chuckled. "I can't help it that he picks favorites."

"Well, before you _ I _ was his favorite."

\---------------------

That night, Ignis found himself very snug under the blankets of the full size bed. He had won the game fair and square with Gladio coming in second, Prompto third and Noctis last. Ignis had taken pity on his charge and offered to share the bed with him. But Noct had replied that he had rightfully lost and would suffer through it.

The advisor was proud of the prince for willingly admitting his defeat and didn't feel bad that he stayed up texting Prompto for an hour after everyone had gone to bed.

The next morning, they woke up early, ate breakfast and went on a few monster hunts around Hammerhead while Cindy continued working on the Regalia. She promised it would be finished and ready to go by the next morning. The group was okay with that since their ferry to Altissa would not be leaving for a few more days and left them still enough time to get to Galdin Quay.

While they were out fighting under the sun, Prompto would be fighting in an air-conditioned training room. Despite not being allowed on the trip, he continued working to be a Crownsguard and would be taking his test the same day as all the other Crownsguard hopefuls instead of earlier, like he had originally planned in order to be ready for the road trip.

"The good thing about not going, the  _ only _ good thing," Prompto had told Ignis over the phone earlier that morning. "Is that I got a few more days to train before the test. I'll be more prepared."

"You and I both know you would have passed on the day you were supposed to take it."

"You're my boyfriend, you're  _ supposed _ to say that."

"Do I need to get Gladio on the phone? I’m sure he’ll tell you the same thing I did and thankfully, he’s not your boyfriend.” Gladio never had a problem letting someone know what he thought. No matter how harsh it may have been.

"Nope, I'm good!" Prompto sang on the other end and that ended that topic of conversation.

They moved on to more pleasant things, like the happenings in Insomnia, though they had just spoken on the phone the night before. Prompto had decided to take a summer class since there wasn't much else for him to do besides continue training with the Crownsguard.

"It's with the same professor I had for my last class, the one where I aced the final. He sent me an email this morning and said that he was happy to find me on his roster. And," Prompto's voice went up a little in pitch, meaning he was excited about something. "He told me if I did well in this class, he would ask me to be his TA for next semester!"

"That's wonderful, sweetheart." His heart swelled with pride for his boyfriend. Things looked bleak since they would be separated for so long but at least Prompto was making the most of their time apart.

Ignis told Prompto their agenda for the day as he lounged on the white plastic chair in front of the caravan. The sun was a few hours above the horizon and it was already starting to get hot. In his hand, not occupied with his phone, he held a can of cold Ebony that he had purchased at the convenience store. Gladio had gone off to order breakfast from the diner and Noct was still sleeping on the floor. 

When Gladio returned, a tray full of delicious smelling food, Noct stumbled from the caravan, fully dressed. Ignis had to hang up with Prompto to eat his meal. After they were finished, and more awake in Noct's case, they would go on their first hunt, which was to take care of a pack of Voretooths that were terrorizing the locals. Afterwards, they would be looking into a missing supply truck for Takka, the cook at the diner.

That evening, they were exhausted but satisfied with what they had done. Cindy had shown them the now-finished Regalia.

"I added a few upgrades as thanks for the hunts," she explained.

The men appreciated her work and offered to buy her dinner, which she accepted with a smile.

The meal was good, the conversation light and interesting and Ignis could almost forget that tomorrow they would be arriving in Galdin Quay. With no Prompto.


	5. Chapter Five

When Ignis had told Prompto that he was no longer allowed on the trip with his friends and boyfriend, his knees would have buckled if he hadn't already been sitting. The trip had been something he'd been looking forward to since the moment Noct had said he wanted Prompto to come along. He'd looked forward to spending time with Iggy and seeing places he had never seen before.

Now, Prompto was all alone. Much like he had been when he was younger and still in his parent's house.

Fortunately, the idea for taking a summer class had popped into his head two days after Ignis had delivered the devastating blow. He'd been able to snag the last spot in one of the classes taught by his favorite professor. It wasn't until after Ignis, Noct and Gladio had left that that professor had emailed Prompto about possibly being a TA for him in the fall if things went well in this class. Things started to look up after that.

Just a little.

The day of Ignis' departure had been the toughest thing Prompto had to do, by far. A part of him was going to be missing for two months. And when Noctis returned, he would be a married man with a beautiful wife. He didn't know how to handle that. 

Would Noct even have time for him anymore? Would they still play video games and hangout? Prompto wouldn't know the answers to those questions until they returned. Until then, he had his class and Crownguard training to keep his mind occupied.

It had three days since they'd left and Prompto looked down at his phone mournfully. No new texts from Ignis. Though, he knew it was because Iggy was too busy driving them to Galdin Quay and he would  _ never _ endanger Noct or Gladio by looking at his phone. So Prompto was left to wait. Noct was sending him pictures of the scenery and even a few of Ignis as he drove.

Those, Prompto instantly saved to his phone and one, he made his wallpaper.

Noct had timed the photo just right. He had caught Ignis smiling softly, probably at something one of his companions had said. It was beautiful.

_ Keep this up _ , he texted his best friend.  _ And you might become a better photographer than me ;) _

[Noct]:  _ Nah, just learned from the best ;) _

[Prompto]:  _ Aww, dude! <3 _

[Prompto]:  _ So how long until u guys make it to Galdin? _

Noct's reply came a few minutes later, meaning he had probably asked Gladio or Ignis how far away they were.  _ A few hours _ , he finally responded.  _ Specs said it should still be light when we get there. I can get some fishing in! :D _

[Prompto]:  _ Gross _

Prompto never understood his best friend's love for fishing, considering they lived in the middle of the city. There weren't many places one could fish around.

[Noct]:  _ Don't hate *fish emoji* _

[Prompto]:  _ I would spend hours fishing if it meant I could be w/ u guys _

[Noct]:  _ We all wish u were here  _

[Prompto]:  _ *crying emoji* thanks! _

[Prompto]:  _ Don't forget to send more pics when u get there _

[Prompto]:  _ Especially if Ignis takes off his shirt ;) _

[Noct]:  _ Gross _

\-----------------------

That evening Prompto lounged on the couch in his and Ignis' living room eating takeout and watching trashy reality TV. The skies had just opened up to a downpour of rain and shrouded the city in darkness, despite there being a few hours left of daylight. Lightning had just streaked across the sky, followed by rumbling thunder when Noct sent Prompto his first pictures of Galdin.

Of course the sky was clear where they were and the sun was glittering off the clear, blue waters of the Quay. It was the picture of paradise.

Prompto took a selfie in front of the window, pouty face and torrential downpour on full display.

He hoped that by tomorrow the rain would stop or else it would be a very wet and soggy Crownsguard test. With Marshall Cor Leonis heading the test, Prompto knew no matter what, it would be taking place outside. Despite the fully functional and equipped training facilities inside the Citadel.

_ Sorry buddy _ , Noct had responded.

Prompto replied with an 'it's okay' and 'there's nothing u can do it about it' before he tossed his phone one the coffee table and plopping back down on the couch. It was weird being in the apartment without Ignis. Even if the Advisor came home late, he was still there and always curled against Prompto in the bed. The night before had been an experience, since he had the large bed to himself. Part of him wanted to sleep on the couch that night, just so he'd feel less alone.

The rain poured harder and the thunder louder. Prompto sighed and turned the TV off. He knew he should probably clean up, shower and head to bed, so that he would be well-rested for the Crownsguard test the next morning but the weather was making him sluggish and the absence of Igns was making him sad.

Finally, with a groan, he rolled off the couch and gathered his garbage. He didn't make it to the bathroom for the shower. Instead, he fell on Ignis' side of the bed, clutched Ignis' pillow close and was asleep in minutes.

He didn't even stir when Ignis' called.

\-----------------------------

The rain still hadn't stopped the next morning, though it was much lighter than the night before. Prompto pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt as he walked to the bus stop. Ignis had given him the keys to his car but Prompto still felt weird being behind the wheel of such a nice car (though he would have killed to take the Regalia out for a spin, even for a short trip).

The top of his hood was damp by the time the bus picked him up. Though it really didn't matter if the rain affected his hair. In just an hour, he'd be covered in sweat (at least the rain would cool him off a little).

Gladio, Noct and Ignis had all sent him good luck messages. Ignis' had been longer than the other two and included more 'I love yous'. Prompto had seen the missed call from his lover earlier that morning but told himself he'd call after the test, after Cor had let him know if he was Crownsguard or not.

When Prompto arrived at the Citadel, there seemed to be a tension in the air. The feeling only intensified when Prompto made his way to the training grounds and Cor seemed more stoic and taciturn than normal. He'd instructed Prompto to stretch as they waited for the rest of the candidates to show up, then turned to look back at the Citadel eyebrows furrowed.

The rest of the candidates arrived and Cor focused his distracted attention on them before instructing them to stretch and get warmed up.

This round of tests had 6 Crownsguard hopefuls. Three men and three women. During training, they had all been trained in all kinds of weaponry in order to find one they were best at wielding. However, during the test, they would be assessed on how well they handled all weapons. A specific test would be for the weapon they considered their speciality. Cor would determine if they were meant for such weapons.

It had taken Prompto awhile to find the weapon for him. Then, he had picked up a gun and found he was pretty damn good at firing it. Most likely from all the time he'd spent in arcades when he was younger.

And of course, they would be tested on their strength and stamina. Prompto ran often and knew his stamina was pretty good. His strength, however, was a point of worry. Gladio liked to point out that Prompto's arms looked like pipe cleaners. But when you had arms the size of boulders, everyone else looked small.

Once everyone was warmed up, the test began.

\----------------

Halfway through, Prompto noticed something odd. 

Cor didn't seem as focused as he normally was. Earlier Prompto had thought he looked distracted but it was worse now. His eyes drifted to the Citadel as much as they watched his students. Was he expecting someone? Was the king going to come out to watch? 

Prompto tried not to panic at that thought. What if His Majesty watched Prompto perform his task and thank the gods he had decided to not let him go with Noctis?

The test took a few hours and the sun had finally started to peak weakly through the overcast sky. Prompto was the last to finish because  _ of course he was _ . The six candidates stood at attention in front of Cor, ready to hear if they passed or failed.

Cor had just opened his mouth when the first explosion went off in the Citadel.

\--------------------

The Marshall didn't hesitate, he took off toward the doors that would lead him inside the building. He'd scooped up a weapon along the way. Prompto knew that whatever the man had picked he was an expert at it. But no matter how well Cor could handle himself in battle, Prompto knew he needed to follow.

So. He did.

He didn't know if the others followed him. All Prompto was focused on was the gun in his hand and Cor's retreating back as he followed him inside.

Another explosion rocked the ground and Prompto had to crouch low so he wouldn't fall. Smoke curled into the sky from somewhere else at the Citadel. Were they under attack? And was it Niflheim? Whatever it was, it wasn't good.

He knew Cor was going for the King and Prompto knew he had to do something to help. Whether he was a Crownsguard or not. Luckily he had his weapon with him and wasn't going in completely defenseless. All he needed to do was be willing to take down the enemy.

He could do that. Maybe.

Inside the building, everything was chaos. Smoke filled the halls, people were scurrying everywhere and the distant sound of running, boot-clad feet could be heard coming closer. Whether they were help or the enemy could not be determined.

"Crownsguard," Cor turned and barked.

Prompto wasted precious time in looking around to see who the Marshall was talking to when it clicked. Cor was talking to  _ him. _

"Yes, sir?"

Later, he would bask in the knowledge that he had passed. Now, he had a job to do.

"Get as many civilians out of here as you can and eliminate any threats you see," Cor instructed and gestured to the gun in Prompto's hand. 

"Who are the threats and how will I know they are one?"

If it was Niflheim, it meant they were human and could look like any one of them.

"They're Magitek soldiers," Cor answered. "You'll know when you see them." And then, he was gone.

\-------------------

Prompto's job was fairly easy as most of the people had already fled or were in the process of doing so. So far, he hadn't come across any one injured or any magitek soldiers, which was a huge relief. But there had been many more explosions that were concerning. Some were inside the Citadel and others weren't.

It sounded like the city was under attack, as well.

As a Crownsguard, was his duty only to the Crown or to the people of Insomnia?

Prompto picked the people. Cor had gone after the King and Prompto had every confidence that the Marshall would be successful in his mission. Especially with Clarus there to help.

So, he rushed outside.

If he thought the Citadel chaotic, outside was completely insane. The sky was almost completely gray with smoke from several fires throughout the city. Airships littered the sky and occasionally lowered to dispatch enemy soldiers.

Magiteks.

People were fleeing en masse in any vehicle they could get in but the roads were jammed pack with cars, debris and fires making their escapes slow. Prompto had no idea what to do. There were people he needed to save but where could they go to be truly safe while the city was under fire?

There was a clattering to his right and Prompto had his first encounter with a Magitek soldier. It was completely covered in black armor and had unnatural glowing red eyes. When it walked, it lurched a little, making it look less human and much easier to kill.

It took several shots before it fell. Instead of crumpling to the ground, like anything lifeless would do, it dissolved into a hissing cloud of smoke.

Prompto, however, didn't have time to dwell on that creepy scene because the Citadel doors burst open behind him and dozens more Magitek soldiers spilled out onto the stone steps. He fired at them but was very much outnumbered. So he did the only thing he could do.

He ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I suck at action scenes. :(
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter Six

Magiteks were  _ everywhere _ . Prompto did what he could to protect the people he came across. His gun was steadily running out of bullets and every time he tried to make it back to the Citadel, he found his path blocked off by enemy soldiers. He had no idea where to go and what to do.

If only Ignis were here with him…

Ignis!

Glancing around Prompto saw he was fairly close to their apartment. Ignis had left his car and keys for Prompto to use, though Prompto was sure he hadn't intended him to use it as a way to plow through Magitek. While at the apartment, he could also grab some supplies. He knew that leaving Insomnia was a good idea.

It didn't take Prompto long to get to the apartment. Once inside, he quickly gathered some clothes and threw them in a sack. He also grabbed all of the money he and Ignis had around the house, knowing that once he left Insomnia he would need it for food and nights spent in a hotel.

His hand hovered over the framed photos in the bedroom before he picked his favorite one. It was one Prompto had taken of the two. Igins was kissing his cheek and Prompto had his eyes closed as he smiled wildly. It was one of his favorites.

After filing the bag, he grabbed the keys and went to the parking garage. Ignis' car was one of the few still there. Any other car wouldn't stand a chance against running over Magitek but Ignis' car was built tougher than other cars. Being the advisor to the prince, thus a pretty important job, there were certain safety measures that needed to be taken when Ignis drove, especially if the prince was in the car with him.

Getting to the Citadel became much easier.

Prompto planned on stopping by the Citadel to pick up Cor and anyone else who hadn't managed to escape. He hoped the King was safe and already gone from Insomnia.

Before he could make it to the Citadel, his phone rang. He hoped it was Ignis, who he had called again back at the apartment and got no answer, but saw it was Cor.

"Hello?"

"You need to leave the city. Now."

"But-"

"The Prince is going to need you more than ever now."

Prompto got a sick feeling in his gut. "The King?"

The silence on the other end was answer enough for Prompto.

"No," he choked out.  _ Poor Noct. _

"That is why he will need you and why you need to leave now."

"But what about you?" He wasn't far from the Citadel. He could drive by, pick Cor up and leave the city.

"I'm staying back to get what people I can out to safety."

"I can help!"

"Making you a Crownsguard was the right decision but I need you to leave the city. I can't have anything to happen to you. Not when Prince Noctis needs all the friends he can surrounding him to help him through this."

"...Okay," Prompto finally said, driving down a street that would lead him out of the city.

"I have faith in you, Crownsguard. Stay safe." And Cor hung up.

\---------------------

It took Prompto over an hour to get to the gate that would lead him out of Insomnia. The car was almost out of gas and was covered in dents from the number of soldiers he had hit with it. The window was cracked but the car wasn't finished yet. Up ahead, several Magitek patrolled past the gate. All he needed to do was plow through them and he would be home free.

It would be like an action movie.

But there could be several things that went wrong and there could be a possibility that Prompto would die here. He picked up his phone and dialed Ignis' number again, hoping this time his boyfriend would pick up.

The phone rang...and rang. No Ignis.

Holding back tears, Prompto typed out a quick message.

_ I love you _ , he typed out with shaky hands.  _ You were the best thing to ever happen to me. _

Then, he threw the phone in the passenger's seat, gripped the steering wheel with both hands and took a deep breath. Before he lost his nerve, he slammed on the gas.

The car screeched and swerved before heading straight for the Magitek, who had heard the noise and had quickly started to open fire on Prompto.

Things didn't turn out like they usually did for the protagonist in an action movie. Prompto did not plow through the Magitek unscathed with an explosion of fire happening behind him.

Instead, he ran over a few Magitek before one took out one of the tires. Prompto lost control of the vehicle and it smashed into a chain-link fence. In the rearview mirror, Prompto saw the Magitek soldiers approach with their weapons, meaning he needed to get out of there. 

Quickly he grabbed his sack of clothing and money and his phone. His gun was in the other hand. It had enough bullets to take down most of the soldiers, if every shot was a kill shot but he couldn't take down all of them.

So, once again, he ran.

Several feet away there was a gap in the fence that led to a cement staircase. Prompto didn't know where it led but if it got him away from the enemy behind him, then he would take a chance at it.

Before he descended the stairs, he looked back at Ignis' car and the Magitek before he saw a flaming ball of fire head for the black car. It crashed into the side and exploded. The heat and force of the blast hit Prompto. He lost his footing on the stairs and tumbled down. His head smacked on the concrete steps and everything went black.

\---------------------

_ I love you. You were the best thing to ever happen to me. _ Ignis looked down at his phone to read Prompto's message again. He had just hung up on Prompto's voicemail for the second time.

During the day, he had left his phone in the room while the three of them had been at the beach. Ignis hadn't wanted to chance having it ruined since, at the moment, it was his only point of contact with his love.

After making dinner, he had retired early so he could call up Prompto and see how the Crownsguard test had gone. He had been greeted with the aforementioned text message and several missed calls.

The message had concerned him and he'd wondered if Gladio or Noct had received similar ones, thinking Prompto was just missing them all and had decided to be sentimental. However, the other two men hadn't received messages from their friend back in Insomnia. So, Ignis called and hoped the message hadn't been sent because something bad had happened at the test. 

But Prompto didn't answer. They seemed to be missing each other's calls a lot lately. It was a little early for Prompto to go to bed but with the day he must have had, he was probably exhausted. So Ignis sent him a message to read in the morning.

_ You are the best thing to happen to me too, love. I can't wait to see you again! xoxo _

Then, the morning came.

Ignis had woken early. Though it was probably early for Prompto, he checked his phone to see if he had received any messages from his boyfriend. There was nothing, which didn't surprise him.

Without waking Gladio and Noct, Ignis quietly got dressed and went out of the room in search of coffee and the newspaper.

His coffee didn't last long. It lay splashed all over the tiled floor as he read the bold headline of that day's paper.

_ Insomnia Falls to Niflheim: King Regis Among the Dead _

Ignis wasted no time in waking his two companions. Noct snatched the paper from his Advisor and Gladio read over his shoulder. Ignis paced the room and startled when Noct crumpled the paper angirly. Tears glittered in his eyes but he refused to let them fall.

"It said that the Citadel was the first to fall," Noct said, voice shaky. "My dad...he didn't even have a chance to escape." His breath hitched and he quickly turned away from his two friends. Gladio squeezed his shoulder. The two of them had lost their fathers.

Prompto would have also been at the Citadel for the Crownsguard test.

_ You were the best thing to happen to me... _

That wasn't Prompto being sentimental. That was Prompto saying goodbye.

Ignis covered his mouth as he rushed to the bathroom and threw up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too happy with this chapter but I hope some of you like it.
> 
> And sorry I'm still not good at action scenes


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I restarted Final Fantasy XV today and boy, did I forget alot!! I'm surprised none of you called me out for it. So yeah, this is definitely an AU of the game.

**Chapter Seven**

"Iggy...he isn't going to answer." Gladio's was softer than Ignis had ever heard it. But he tuned it out when he heard the sound of someone picking up only to be greeted with Prompto's automated voicemail. It wasn't even his voice since it had been a new phone and he hadn't had the time to make a message.

His phone felt hot in his hands but he went back to the green phone icon and pressed on Prompto's name. However, a massive hand clamped around the screen before Ignis could start the call.

"Iggy, come on. You've been at this for awhile. We both know he would have contacted you by now if he was okay."

"You don't know that," Ignis said, stubbornly and looked back out at the water, refusing to look his friend in the eye.

Promtpo would have loved it here.

He felt tears well up in his eyes when he heard Gladio say his name again.

"He could be hunkered down somewhere," Ignis continued, ignoring Gladio. "There could be no service or his phone is dead."

All those things could be true, he  _ willed _ them to be true, but it had been a full day since Prompto's last text. If Prompto was still alive, he would have done everything he could have to let Ignis know.

"Come on, Iggy. We need to leave. Noct is going to take the Regalia himself if we don't get a move on."

Ignis continued to ignore him. He felt like he was falling in a hole with no way to get to the surface. "I wasn't there," he said more to himself than his friend. "He called me. I should have answered. I should have had my phone. Maybe if I had then-"

"Iggy!" Gladio gripped his shoulders in a viselike hold and forced Ignis to look at him. "There's nothing you could have done. You didn't know Niflheim was going to attack and you were here, not there, when it did."

"Exactly! I was  _ here _ . I should have been with him." Ignis felt near hysterics. He had never felt this out of control before.

"Hey!" Gladio shook him. "You're not the only one who's lost someone. We still have a job to do. Noct still needs us."

Ignis paused. Gladio had lost his father and possibly his sister. Noct had lost his father, the only family he had left. "I-I'm sorry, Gladio." He bowed his head. "I'm being selfish. Please forgive me."

Gladio engulfed Ignis in a rare hug. "There's nothing to forgive, Iggy. We just gotta swallow down the grief for now and do our best to keep Noct safe. Okay?"

Ignis nodded against his friend's shoulder. His heart was still shattered and he knew he'd never feel whole again. But Gladio was right. Noct had to come first now.

\----------------------

Ignis felt like vomiting again when he saw what was left of Insomnia. Even from the distance, he could see the massive destruction. The once proud skyscrapers were demolished to smoking rubble. Office buildings and apartment complexes were reduced to half their size. It was a sad sight for a once bustling city.

It would have been a miracle for Prompto to escape. Especially if he had been at the Citadel, which sat in the middle of the city.

Beside him, Noct seemed to vibrate with anger. His fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white. "They're going to pay for his," his voice was quiet but filled with rage. Ignis agreed, though silently with a curt nod.

The next Niflheim soldier was going to get ripped apart for what they had done to their beautiful city, to the King and his Shield and to Prompto.

"Let's head back to the car and find a place to set up camp," Gladio said after a while. "We ain't going to make it back to Hammerhead before dark."

"Then, tomorrow, we can head into the city to look for survivors," Ignis said.

Gladio winced, knowing why his friend had made that suggestion. "I don't think that's a good idea, Igs. The place is probably crawling with Niffs. We're strong but we can't take down an army of them."

Ignis wanted to argue, though he knew Gladio was right. They had to protect Noct at all costs and rushing into Insomnia would definitely be putting his life in danger.

"Then what should we do?" Noct growled, surprising the two older men. "We can't get to Altissia. We shouldn't go into Insomnia. What can we do? Let Niflheim win?" Ignis opened his mouth, ready to soothe his prince, as was his job. Gladio beat him to it. Not that he minded.

"We're not going to sit here and do nothing. But we need time to regroup. Our job is to get you to Altissia and Luna. That's still the plan even if things have changed. We're going to need some time to figure things out. We can't run in half-assed. Believe me, I want to go to Insomnia. Especially if there's a chance Iris is still alive. But I know the chances of us getting killed and I'm not willing to risk it."

That was quite a lengthy speech from Gladio and Ignis hoped that it got through to Noctis.

"Fine," the prince said after a while. Gladio's words seemed to have mollified him a bit. The hands at his sides slowly unclenched from their painful fists.

"Let's go make camp."

\-------------------

That night, Ignis could not sleep.

Honestly that came as no surprise to him, despite how exhausted and sluggish his body felt.

Getting back to the Regalia came with a few more encounters with Magitek troopers, which instead of irritating the trio brought them a small sense of joy as they cut the armor-clad soldiers. Once they made it back to the royal car, they located the nearest haven and quickly set up camp. Ignis started dinner while Gladio and Noct did the last finishing touches on the tent. 

With all that had gone on in those few hours, Ignis' mind had been occupied with the tasks at hand. Now that it was dark and his companions asleep, his mind went back to Prompto...who he would never see again.

A sob escaped him as he curled into one of the camp chairs. The still smothering fire provided him with little warmth. The phone in his hand was hot as the battery slowly depleted as he tried to call Prompto. Again. If he was out there, he had to have made it someplace where he could charge his phone. Hammerhead was only a few hours away from Insomnia.

But there was no answer.

it took everything In Ignis to not throw the device into the inky darkness surrounding the campsite. Instead, he typed out a message that he knew, deep down, would never be read.

_ I love you, Prompto. No matter where you are, I will always love you. _

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm going to be putting Ignis through the wringer in these next few chapters. Let me know if it gets to be too much.
> 
> Thank you all for reading!!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to update this once a week and up until now, I've been keeping one chapter ahead. This is the last complete chapter I have written so the next update may come a little slower. I've also hit a couple roadblocks in how I want this story to go so that doesn't help the writing process either *sigh*
> 
> Anyway. Has any gotten The Dawn of the Future book? I have and it's SOOO good. I'm on Luna's story and I'm loving it :)

Cor was exhausted by the time he reached the gates leading out of Insomnia. Normally, he was not one to admit that. He was called the Immortal for a reason. But Insomnia was a large city, full of thousands of people and he had tried to save as many as could and also had to defend against Niffs and daemons.

Despite all those he had saved, the King and his Shield were not among them. Their deaths would haunt him for the rest of his life, though he knew there hadn't been much he could have done to save them. Niflheim had surprised them all.

After directing the refugees that still followed him to LeStallum, where the city would help take care of them as best they could, Cor made his way to Hammerhead, where he had told Prompto to meet him.

He hoped the kid had made it.

Cor had regretted his decision to send Promtpo out of the city by himself almost immediately, not because he thought the young man couldn't handle it but because the city was quickly being overrun with enemy soldiers and daemons, which the kid didn't have much experience fighting. Cor, himself, had had a tough time escaping unscathed.

If Prompto hadn't made it, it would mean another devastating blow to Prince Noctis, who saw Prompto as his best friend, and to Ignis, who's relationship with the blonde hadn't been a secret around the Citadel.

The Marshall had been opposed to Clarus' decision to keep Prompto back in Insomnia, though he had understood why Clarus and King Regis had concerns. But Cor knew that if the two lovers had been together, they would have fought even  _ harder _ to make sure that everyone in their group stayed safe.

Cor also knew that if Regis had known about Niflheim's plan for Insomnia, he would have made sure that Prompto would have been sent with Noctis, to keep him safe.

No one had known about the attack, though. Though Cor had sensed something was off the day of it. If only he had acted sooner or had stayed with the King.

Those were regrets he couldn't afford thinking about right now. Noctis was still out there, probably lost and confused about what he should do next. Cor had failed one king already, he'd be damned if he failed another one.

\--------------------

When Cor finally made it to Hammerhead, the sun was considerably lower in the sky and the car he had hotwired for his escape barely made it up the driveway to the garage before dying, steam escaping from the hood. A pretty blonde mechanic came out and offered to do what she could to fix the hunk of junk. Cor just needed it to run again so he could get to his next destination.

When Cor asked if she had seen anyone that fit Prompto's description, she frowned and shook her head. Though, she did say he had seen the prince and his two friends a few days prior.

Not seeing Prompto deeply concerned Cor. There had only been one road leading to Hammerhead from Insomnia and he hadn't seen the young man as he drove up since there had been a possibility the kid could have started trekking on foot. He prayed to the Astrals that Prompto's death would not be on his conscience, too.

Cindy, the mechanic, informed him that his car would be ready in the morning, which was better than Cor had hoped. But it didn't allow Prompto a lot of time to show up because once the car was ready to go, he would be reuniting with Monica and other Crownsguards that that had made it on a base that was north of there. From there, he would call the Prince (now King). A new mission was needing to be done by the young man.

It was to find the weapons of the King's from the past. The Royal Arms.

\----------------

Ignis' whole body ached as he unfurled from the camping chair. His sleep had been light, bordering on the non-existing. But it was his job to get the morning started.

The sound of a phone, Noct's based on the ringtone, froze Ignis in place. It took everything in the Advisor to not rip the tent open and answer it himself. His own phone had died a few hours before and if it was Promtpo, Noct would be the next person he'd call.

And it had to be Prompto. There was no else it could be.

"Hello?" Noct's sleep rough voice reached Ignis' ears as he waited for the person on the other end to speak to confirm his suspicions (and hope). Noct would definitely waken fully when he heard the ever- cheerful voice of his best friend. Then, Ignis would snatch the phone away and finally talk to his love.

Seconds later, his heart shattered with one word.

"Cor?"

Ignis' knees felt weak and he leaned against the camp stove. Of course it wasn't Prompto. What a fool he'd been to think so. With a sigh, he left Noct to his conversation with the Marshall and started to gather ingredients for their breakfast.

It wasn't long before Gladio and Noct left the tent. The older man had been up but had stayed inside to hear the conversation Noct was having. Whatever they talked about hadn't lasted long since Cor was known to be taciturn.

"Cor wants us to meet up at this base north of Hammerhead," Noct spoke after a long yawn and even longer stretch. "He said he's something for us to do."

"I wonder what it could be," Ignis mused and scooped eggs and bacon onto two plates. Both of his friends took one and sat by the remains of last night's fire. He poured himself a cup of coffee and waved off Gladio when he asked where his food was.

"I'm not that hungry."

Gladio gave him a look and opened his mouth to say something. ignis spoke before he did so. "Please, Gladio. Not today," he begged. The bigger man didn't say anything but Ignis knew he would be keeping a close eye on him.

"He did say it was important, though," Noct continued. "How important? I don't know. You know how Cor is."

"Ah, yes," Ignis responded after taking a sip of his coffee. A ghost of a smile appeared on his mouth. "Prompto was terrified of him. He thought the man would take one look at him during the test and fail him immediately."

Ignis paused as his heart started to beat faster. Not because of the mention of Prompto but because he had just realized something.

"Cor would have been with Prompto!" He blurted and jumped to his feet. The coffee in his hand slushed over the side of the cup but he ignored it. "When Niflheim attacked Prompto would have been at the Citadel with Cor. And if Cor got out, then-"

"Promtpo could have, too!" Noct jumped in by literally jumping to his feet. "If Prompto stayed with Cor, then there is no way he wouldn't have made it out alive. He has to be with him right now."

"Then, let us pack up and go!" Ignis was half a second from just leaving the campsite without their supplies and headed toward Cor. Prompto was more important than a tent and camp stove.

However, Gladio remained seated and didn't share in their enthusiasm. Instead, he had a skeptical look on his face and for a moment, Ignis thought he saw pity in his eyes, as well.

"Guys," the big man's voice stopped them. "I hate saying this but don't you think if Prompto was with Cor he would have said something? He's gotta know how worried we are about him. So wouldn't he have at least let Prompto on the phone if he was there?"

All of those were valid questions, questions that would have been going through Ignis' head if he was thinking straight.

"Maybe Prompto's injured and couldn't talk and Cor, being Cor, just didn't mention it because he knew we'd be up there soon and didn't want to worry us." Even Noct sounded forcibly optimistic.

"Listen, I want Blondie to be all right and alive as much as the both of you do. He's my friend, too." He stood and folded his chair before placing it on one of his massive shoulders. "But I don't want you all to get your hopes up. It'll devastate you if Prompto isn't there."

And...he wasn't.

Prompto was the first thing Noctis asked about when they met Cor at the base. He had practically warped out of the car the moment Ignis had parked it in search of the Marshall.

The man had sighed and looked down once the three of them gathered around him. "I can't tell you if he's still alive. He was supposed to meet me at Hammerhead yesterday but he never showed. I know I didn't give him a large window but he'd already had almost a day's head start on me. Cindy said she would inform me if he does show up, though." He looked to Noct. "And of course, I would let you know. If I'm being completely honest with you, I don't even know if he made it out of Insomnia."

Ignis looked away and blinked hard. It wouldn't look good to cry in front of the Marshall. Noct was able to compose himself first and asked Cor what he had needed them to do.

"It's not something  _ I _ need you to do. It's something  _ you _ need to do."

Noct crossed his arms and waited for Cor to continue.

The older man went on to explain, in short order as was his way, that it was Noct's duty to collect all the Royal Arms of the past kings. There were thirteen in total. Most were in Lucis and a few even over the sea in Accordo.

It would be a long and tough job. The men couldn't wait to start it. The quest would help to keep their minds off of all they had lost.

\-------------------

The pain woke him up.

The throbbing in his head hurt the worst, causing a rush of nausea and he'd quickly turned his head to throw up. Nothing but bile splattered the concrete beside his face and that's when he noticed the cramping in his stomach and the stinging of his exposed skin. His face felt sticky and when he sat up, he saw that he'd been lying in a pool of congealed blood. Feeling the back of his head and the sudden, searing pain when he felt an open wound nearly had him fainting.

What had happened to him?

Though, when he glanced to his right and saw the concrete stairs, he had his answer. Somehow he had managed to fall down and from the aching in his stomach, he had been knocked out at the bottom for a while.

Beside him sat a sack. Taking a quick look inside, he saw that it was filled with clothes and on top of them, sat a small pile of money. Knowing that he would probably need that and it wasn't exactly safe keeping it in a sack, he took the bills and put them in his wallet. Which he had felt pressing in his back pocket. In the other pocket, he had a phone but the screen was smashed and it wouldn't turn on.

There wouldn't be any calling for help.

So, he decided that standing up was the next order of business and then, he would tackle the stairs.

Standing took more energy than he had wanted and climbing the stairs was a slow, grueling process. Every few steps, he needed to stop and rest or risk the chance of falling down them again.

When he  _ finally _ made it to the top, he did a weak victory fist pump and quickly got away from the stairs from hell.

The sites that greeted him past the chain link fence were not pleasant. To his immediate right, sat a still smothering hunk of a car. Further past that, he saw the road leading to Insomnia. The sky above the city was stained almost black with smoke.

There was nothing left to go back to.

Left was his only direction to take and since he didn't seem to have a vehicle, the trek would be on foot.

And his destination? 

He had no idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter yet! Unfortunately, I don't know when the next one will be updated. I'm going to try really hard for next week!!

Cor helped them retrieve the first Royal Arms before leaving the group. Not before promising to check in Hammerhead for Prompto again and would let Cindy know to give them a call if the blonde showed up.

"Of course he couldn't make it easy for us," Noct grumbled over dinner. His mood had soured at the idea of another night in the tent. Finding out that Prompto hadn't been with Cor hadn't helped improve it, either.

Gladio slapped him hard on the back and almost caused the younger man to drop his plate of food. "Just gotta prove that you're worthy enough to be king, is all." Both Gladio and Ignis knew Noct had what it took to be a good king but he also needed them to push him.

Noct glared at his Shield as he rubbed his sore shoulder.

Cor had told him where to find a few of the Royal Arms but others they would need to ask around for. This raised the question of how long they would be on this quest. What about Luna, who they had found out was still alive, and the wedding? With Niflheim attacking, the need for a treaty was no more, they all supposed. (Though Noct had seemed disappointed by that but no one dared say anything).

Going to Altissia was obviously being put on hold but for how long? How long could they go on before the Niffs caught up with them? And what about getting back at them for what they had done to his city, to his people and to his father? It was a lot for a newly crowned King to think about. Gladio and Ignis would do all they could do to help ease the burden.

"Just think about this," Gladio spoke around a mouthful of food, which was one of Ignis' pet peeves but didn't have the energy to say anything about it. "Once you get all the Arms, you'll be pretty damn powerful."

"Maybe then I'll actually beat you in a spar," Noct teased, knowing full well he had beaten Gladio several times over the years. Ignis, as well. It was how his father and Clarus knew he was ready for this trip.

"Now, don't get too ahead of yourself." Gladio made a move to slap Noct on the back again but the raven-haired king moved deftly out of the way, nearly spilling the rest of his meal on the stone floor of the haven.

"You know," Noct said, flexing his arm. "I feel stronger already."

"Yeah, let's not get too cocky," Gladio said, only half joking.

"Yeah, yeah." Noct waved him off before shoveling the rest of his food in his mouth.

Now,  _ this _ Ignis had energy for. "How King-like," he commented drily from his seat. "Lady Lunafreya has no idea what she's getting into, does she?" He got up and poured himself another cup of coffee. Caffeine or not, he knew he wouldn't be getting much sleep that night. Again.

"You've clearly never seen my dad eat when he was in private and really hungry," Noct snarked.

"I can attest to that," Gladio chimed in. "Not that I saw. My dad just told me."

There was sadness in the silence that covered the haven. Ignis had to remind himself that he wasn't the only one that had lost someone in Insomnia. But while Noct and Gladio could bring up their lost fathers, Ignis couldn't bring himself to talk about Prompto. He knew that he had earlier but that had been followed with the possibility that he was still alive and with Cor. Now, Prompto's name caught in his throat and any mention of him from Gladio or Noct had him wanting to leave the area.

Ignis knew it wasn't a good way to remember Prompto or a good way to cope with his loss but it was hard. So unbelievably hard when only last week, Prompto was well, alive and happily in his arms. When, only a week ago, he was able to kiss his love whenever he wanted. Now, he would never lay eyes on him.

He stifled back a sob and tried to join in the banter Noct and Gladio had going on. His heart wasn't in the puns he spouted off, though. Especially without Prompto there to laugh at them or tell him how terrible they were.

After a few hours of talking around the fire, they decided to call it a night. Noct had suggested a round of King's Knight, then realized they would not have their normal fourth member and quickly mumbled a 'nevermind' before putting away his phone.

Ignis started cleaning up the stove. While daemons couldn't breach the haven's protective sigils, animals could. He scrubbed at the stove a little more vigorously than needed and barely noticed when something slid on the counter towards him.

It was a protein bar.

Gladio was looking down at him with a meaningful look on his face. "I know you didn't eat anything at dinner. So, eat this. Please." 

Gladio didn't plead very often. That alone made Ignis open the bar and take a bite. Everything in him, though, wanted to toss Gladio's offering back at the bigger man and demand that he stop treating Ignis like a baby. But that was Gladio's way of showing he cared, in little acts like giving his best friend a protein bar because he was still grieving and couldn't stomach much else.

"Thank you, Gladio," he said softly and finished the bar, despite that it made his gut feel heavy.

Gladio, satisfied with Ignis for now, gave him a nod before walking away and ducking into the tent where Noct was already sleeping (and snoring).

When Ignis felt the stove was cleaned, he poured the last bit of the coffee in his mug and took a seat by the still burning fire, much like he had done the previous night. Sleep seemed so far off and unattainable but he knew that he needed to try to get a few hours in. Especially if he spent the day driving and fighting.

Also, he knew if he wasn't careful, Gladio would hound him about sleeping, too. So, with a sigh, Ignis dumped the coffee on the fire and watched it sputter and die before heading to the tent. He slipped inside as quietly as he could.

Noct was dead to the world and didn't even stir. Gladio, though, not so much. Without looking toward his friend, Ignis took the spot in the middle of the two of them.

"Was about to drag you in," Gladio grumbled before turning to his side, facing away from Ignis.

"I'm glad it didn't come to that," Ignis quipped. He turned his back to Gladio.

"Night, Iggy."

"Sleep well, Gladio."

\-------------------

He almost stopped in the middle of the road from the exhaustion and pain. So far he had been on foot for over an hour and hadn't seemed like he'd gone anywhere. The terrain hadn't changed much and most importantly, he hadn't seen any civilization. This was how he was going to die. He'd survived a nasty tumble down concrete steps to only die in the middle of nowhere from the heat and lack of people.

However, his luck seemed to turn when the sound of a vehicle could be heard approaching. He turned, ready to flag them down, but saw that they were already pulling to the side of the road where he stood.

It was a nicer looking car, one would have seen driving around Insomnia. So far, he had alone seen abandoned rusty buckets of cars as he walked. Behind the wheel was a woman with long, dark hair and beside her was another woman. In the back was a man with paler blonde hair than his, almost silver, and he was leaning out the window, waving to him.

With a smile that bright and sincere looking, he didn't think they looked that dangerous. Though, he still approached the car with caution. On a closer look, he saw that the three looked similar to him with their dirtied clothes and worn-out faces.

"Are you from Insomnia?" The woman behind the wheel asked. Though the question was asked somewhat sharply, her eyes were kind.

"Yeah," he answered. His voice was scratchy from misuse (or from yelling, he wasn't sure).

"Do you have a place to go?"

He didn't. The plan was for him to continue walking until he came across a town or other people, then maybe he could figure out what to do from there. "No," he finally answered.

"Well, we're going to Lestallum. They said they have space for refugees from Insomnia, like us. Do you want to come?"

He had nowhere else to go, his head throbbed and feet ached. These people were offering him a ride to a town where it sounded like he would have a place to stay and food to eat. So, the decision was easy.

"Yes."

"Great!" The woman smiled, the first time since they had stopped. "Hop in!"

He opened the back seat and slid in next to the only other guy.

"Hi, I'm Victor!" Victor offered his hand with the smile that had yet to leave his face and he shook it.

"I'm Rose," said the woman in the passenger seat. She had straight, sleek black hair that reached just past her shoulders. Her skin was lightly tanned and she had a dirt (or grease spot) under her eye.

"And I'm Jasmine," the driver said.

The three of them continued to stare at him for a few seconds before he realized he should probably tell them his name.

...If he could remember it.

It took him longer than he wanted to admit to finally recall his name. "Prompto," he said, finally. "My name's Prompto."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Prompto," Victor said and the two women nodded their heads before Jasmine started the car and they were on their way again.

They informed Prompto that they would not be reaching Lestallum until sometime tomorrow.

"We could make it there late tonight or early morning," Jasmine said, glancing at Prompto through the rearview mirror. "But the roads aren't safe to drive on at night."

"Daemons," Victor supplied with a shudder.

Prompto had heard of daemons but thankfully hadn't seen one in person. He'd also never been outside of Insomnia, either. He didn't know what he'd do if he saw one. Though, there had been a gun in his sack, which had shocked him to discover. However, when he held it in his hand, it had felt right. But that was something to ponder later.

"So, we plan on stopping at Hammerhead to fill the tank and get a bite to eat. Then, drive as much as we can before it gets dark and stop at a motel for the night."

"If you can help out with paying, that would be great. If not, we understand. We didn't really have much time to grab things before the city was under attack." Rose turned in her seat and told him.

Prompto remembered the money he had stuffed in his wallet and knew that it would be more than enough to help out. Before he could let them know, Jasmine spoke.

"It has to be gil, though. Places don't take the currency we use in Insomnia."

"Gil?" Prompto had never heard of that before and he certainly didn't have any in his pocket.

"It seems everywhere but Insomnia uses it," Victor chimed in.

"Fortunately for us, Victor had gone on a trip to Galdin Quay and has some left over gil. But we hate having to use so much of it before we get to Lestallum."

"I'm sorry," Prompto said. Already he was being a burden to his saviors. Maybe when they reached Hammerhead he'd see them off and hang around the place for a bit. Surely there would be some odd jobs he could do to earn some gil before making his way to Lestallum.

"Don't worry about it. Really." Victor gave him a smile probably noticing the mini panic attack he was having. "I don't mind using my money. I had too much of it back in Insomnia to know what to do with and this is my way of doing something good with it."

"He's very generous." Rose gave Victor a wide smile. "But we're definitely going to be paying him back once we get to Lestallum and can exchange our money." The last part was spoken more to the other man, like they'd already had this conversation before.

"Definitely," Prompto agreed and told himself to keep up a tally of how much money was spent on him so that he could repay every cent...or gil.

A little while later they were pulling up to what Prompto assumed was Hammerhead. It had a garage, a small convenience store, a diner and a small caravan for those that may need to stay the night. Truthfully, it didn't seem like much.

Jasmine went to pump the gas, Rose checked the store for supplies and a map, which left Victor and Prompto to head to the diner and order their food. As they waited for the food to be ready in a booth, Rose and Jasmine joined them.

"So," Prompto said, after their food came and the conversation had lulled. "How did the three of you meet? Did you know each other before?"

"Jasmine and I knew each other before. We were roommates and worked at the same place," Rose answered. "We were working when Niflheim attacked. Fortunately, we lived across the street and were able to grab a few things before evacuating."

"Our car broke down right before the wall and we had to make the trek on foot," Jasmine added. "We saw this old junker just outside of Insomnia and thought we'd be able to jump it. Not thinking that it was left there for a reason."

"And this is where I come in," Victor jumped in with a smile. "Like was said earlier, I was coming back from a trip to Galdin. Well, actually, I was supposed to go to Altissia. But, for some reason, the ferries had stopped working. I waited for a few days before deciding that it was best to head back to Insomnia and try for Altissia another time." 

For the first time, Prompto saw an emotion on Victor's face that wasn't happiness or content. It was sadness. There must have been someone in Altissa that he'd wanted to see. Someone he cared about deeply. Prompto didn't want to pry, especially if Victor wasn't going to say anything., so he kept his mouth shut.

"I didn't hear about Insomnia until I was driving back. At first I didn't believe it and decided to head back to make sure." He paused. A frown still on his face.

"I knew the moment I saw smoke blackening the sky that the reports were true. The city was gone.

"I saw Jasmine and Rose, then. They were huddled by this car. I knew they had to be from the city and I knew I had to help them. Jasmine told me about Lestallum so I let her take over."

"We had space for one more person," Rose spoke. "So we drove around the area for a bit, hoping to come across someone that needed help."

Jasmine smiled. "And we came across you."

"And I'm extremely grateful that you did." Prompto knew that it had taken an extreme amount of trust for them to pick up a stranger. He knew that there would be people out there who would have taken advantage.

"So, Prompto," Victor said. His face no longer showed the sadness from earlier, as if he had pushed it away to make room for his ever present smile. "How did you get out of Insomnia?"

Much like his name, it took Prompto awhile to recall what had happened to him before the concrete stairs. But this time, his brain wasn't coming up with anything. There was no images of him running for his life as the city burned. No images of him being with anyone as he escaped. It was if he had just poofed down at the bottom of those stairs.

Finally, he looked up at the three people who had saved him, eyes wide with horror. "I don't remember."

\---------------------

Of course, this caused a slight uproar of concern with Prompto's companions. He explained, as best he could, that he had woken up at the bottom of some stairs just outside of Insomnia with no recollection of how he had gotten there.

"This is crazy!" Rose explained. "Not only the part of you forgetting how you got there but that Jasmine and I were there and didn't know you were. We could have helped you much sooner." She genuinely seemed upset about that.

"It's okay," Prompto quickly reassured her. "You had no idea and you had your own problems to worry about."

"Fortunately, you don't need stitches." After hearing about the memory loss and the head injury, Jasmine had gotten up to look at Prompto's head. "We'll see if they have a first aid kid before we leave so we can at least clean up the wound."

"Thank you," Prompto mumbled.

"So." Rose leaned her elbows on the table and leaned forward. "What  _ is _ the last thing you remember?"

Prompto closed his eyes and really thought. "Um... I remember school had just let out for the summer."

"That was a little over a month ago. So, your missing gap isn't too big," Victor reassured. 

"That's a relief," Prompto sighed. Though, it did still freak him out that there was a whole month he was missing.

"Hopefully things will come to you soon," Victor said. 

"I hope so, too."

After they finished their meal, Prompto followed Jasmine into the convience store to ask after a first-aid kit, which the man behind the counter readily gave. She made quick work of cleaning the wound in the bathroom.

"Can't really put a bandage on it with your hair, unless you want me to wrap your head like a mummy."

"Nah, I think I'm good. It's stopped bleeding, right?"

"Yeah, and I'm not in the medical field but it doesn't seem like you have a concussion."

"Just amnesia," Prompto joked.

She smiled. "Yeah, just amnesia."

Once everything was settled, they climbed into the car. This time Victor was behind the wheel and the women sat in the back. "It's the men's turn up front," Victor said with a smile. "And we also get to control the radio! Any preferences?"

"Nope. Anything's fine with me."

"Great!" He pressed one of the preset buttons and classical music drifted through the speakers. It was met with no complaints and then, they were off on the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The names of the OCs are all names of characters from some of my favorite things to watch. Two are from movies and one is show. Can you guess where they're from?? (Oh, and the Rose is not from Doctor Who. I've never seen that show but I know there's a Rose in it. At least...I think so??)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. This chapter was supposed to be way longer but I decided to end it where I did. It's mostly just a filler chapter and the next one should be more exciting!
> 
> Also, I didn't know it was Promnis week!! I'm loving the new content and may try my hand at the prompts at a later date. :)

The classical music that drifted through the speakers seemed to lull everyone to sleep, beside Victor, who was driving. With their bellies full, it was hard for them to not get comfortable and let the exhaustion overtake them.

Prompto leaned his arms on the open window of the car and placed his head on them before closing his eyes. Leaning back on the seat bothered his head and the jostle of the car hadn't helped. Dozing on his arms was his best bet.

It wasn't long before he completely drifted off.

_ When he next opened his eyes, he found he was no longer in the car. Instead, he seemed to be in a nicely furnished living room. Underneath him, his fingers brushed against the soft fabric of a very comfortable couch. To his right stood a bookshelf, filled with books and...comic books that he vaguely remembered owning. Framed pictures were scattered throughout the room but the faces of the people were blurred. _

_ "Prompto, dear, dinner is about ready. Could you set the table?" a male voice coming from his left startled him. The voice wasn't Victor's, who would have never called him dear anyway. It was a voice with a soothing accent, one that seemed to do things to his heart. _

_ Turning to look in the direction of the voice, he saw a tall, slender man standing in a kitchen with his back to Prompto. There was something familiar about the slope of his shoulder, the way he was dressed, which was very formal, and the way his hair seemed to be styled up. _

_ "Got it," Prompto heard himself say, though he didn't recall telling his brain to respond, and soon found himself standing from the couch to head for the kitchen...and the well dressed man. _

_ Expertly, he maneuvered around the man to grab bowls, cups and silverware to place on the table. All the while, the other man's face seemed to elude him. _

_ With a sigh, Prompto took a seat at the table. _

_ "I even made your favorite." A kiss was pressed to the side of Prompto's head. However, before he could look up, the man had his back to Prompto once more. _

_ Now frustrated, Prompto stood. Clearly this man was important to him. One wouldn't call him dear and kiss his forehead if he wasn't. All he needed to do was see his face, to see if he could put a name to it. So, he took matters into his own hands. He grabbed the man's shoulder, hoping to turn him around. But then, it felt like someone was shaking him and calling his name... _

...and he opened his eyes to find the car was no longer moving and the sun had sunk so low in the sky, everything around them was turning gray.

Victor had been the one shaking him awake. "We're here," he announced brightly. "Jasmine and Rose went to check us in."

Prompto sat up, wincing at the crink in his neck and the renewed throbbing in the back of his skull. "Where  _ is _ here?"

"Cauthess Rest Area," Victor answered. "Which means we're close to Lestallum. We just couldn't make it before dark."

They climbed from the car when they saw Jasmine and Rose return with their room key.

"There's only two beds, so I hope you all don't mind sharing."

They were all still strangers, except for Rose and Jasmine since they had known each other before, but if it meant he got to sleep on a real bed he didn't care who he shared a bed with. The nap seemed to have drained him instead of refreshing him and it was probably because his brain had worked so hard to try and figure out who the mysterious man had been.

"Good," Rose said once everyone agreed it was okay. "Now, the real problem. Who's going to get the shower, first?"

\----------------------

That morning, Ignis woke up feeling ill. His head pounded as he quietly dressed and his stomach clenched as he started putting things together for breakfast.

Coffee didn't help the aches but he was practically drooling as he plated Gladio and Noct's food.

When had been the last time he'd eaten a real meal and not just a protein bar? The night before he read about the fall of Insomnia? That night he had enjoyed a delicious meal of grilled fish and rice and it had also been three days ago. Which explained why his stomach was protesting so much, though earlier, even the thought of food had almost sent it heaving.

He scooped himself a small amount of eggs, knowing that he needed to start small. If he stuffed his face, like his stomach wanted, then he would definitely throw it up.

Gladio emerged from the tent before Noctis, though the sound of the younger man moving around could be heard, and when he saw Ignis eating something, he nodded with approval. He grabbed his meal and threatened Noct that he would take his as well if he didn't get out there soon.

After they were done eating, they began getting ready for the mission to retrieve the second Royal Arm for Noct. This time, Cor would not be there to assist them but Gladio and Noct were both confident they would be fine. Ignis knew he needed to do a better job taking care of himself especially since he needed to be at his best for these missions. To protect Noct.

"Iris messaged me this morning," Gladio said as they packed the last of their things and climbed into the car. "She said she's fine and is heading toward Lestallum."

Just the day before, Gladio had gotten a call from his sister letting him know that she was okay. Her phone had died before she could say anything more but the knowledge that his little sister was fine had done wonders to Gladio. Though he hadn't outwordly looked worried, now there was noticeable less tension in his massive shoulders.

"So, I say that once we get this Arm, we head that way."

Noct grunted his reply, still tired as he leaned his head on the back of his seat. It was still too early for decision making.

"If it is all right with His Majesty, I'm sure we can spare a trip," Ignis answered for his charge, staring at the two men in the back seat. Times like this, when Noct chose to sit in the back with Gladio, made Ignis feel more like a chauffeur than part of the group. But it was what it was.

"Whatever," Noct finally mumbled.

Ignis had an ulterior motive to wanting to go to Lestallum, besides staying the night in a city, and that was maybe Lestallum had a list of all those lost in Insomnia. Maybe he would finally have some closure.

\--------------------

In order to get to Keycatrich Trench, they had to travel by foot through the ruin of old, stone buildings. Vicious creatures, who had made the ruins their home, attacked them. A coeurl even tried to make its attempt at them. That battle hadn't been easy and when they finally reached the entrance to the Trench, they needed to take a few moments to recuperate.

Inside the Trench was dark and dark meant daemons, some of which would not be easy to fight. Their encounters with daemons thus far had been few but difficult. Especially when a relatively easy battle with a few goblins lead to an encounter with an Iron Giant.

The fighting in the Trench seemed to be harder the further they went. But after Noct received the Axe of the Conqueror, the fight became a lot easier.

They emerged from the Trench with plenty of sunlight.

"We may actually have enough time to find a hotel for the night," Ignis observed as they made their way back to the Regalia. It was an easier trek than before as all the creatures who would have attacked them were either dead or smart enough to stay away.

"Finally," Noct sighed. "A night on a real bed." Even Gladio looked relieved at the prospect of sleeping with an actual roof above his head.

"And before we start looking for the next tomb, we stop in Lestallum and check on Iris."

"Of cour-" Before Ignis could finish the sentence, Noct's phone went off. The sound no longer caused his heart to race and hope to rise.

"Hello," Noct answered. The voice on the other end couldn't be heard but with how short the conversation was, Gladio and Ignis guessed that it was Cor.

"That was Cor," the Prince-King confirmed once he hung up a few short minutes later. "He said there's an Empire base that he needs help destroying."

"Hell yeah. If it means kicking Niflheim ass, then I'm in!"

"Me, too." Those two words were all Ignis said but on the inside he was already thinking of all the ways he was going to tear them apart for what they had done to Prompto.

"Normally I'd just want to flop onto a hotel bed after fighting," Noct said. "But these bastards gotta pay. Cor's already there now and when we get there, we're going to wait until it's dark to sneak in." 

And with that, the three of them quickened their pace to the Regalia.

  
  
  



	11. Chapter Eleven

Lestallum was like nothing Prompto had ever seen before. Where Insomnia was all steel and concrete, traffic and men in business attire, Lestallum was cobblestone and rock, the smell of spice and women dressed in odd, shimmering suits.

"Here we are!" Victor announced. "Me and Yuu-" His mouth twisted shut and the light seemed to leave his eyes before he continued, "Me and a friend used to come here on vacation to relax and enjoy the food."

Rose exited the car and immediately started to fan herself. "You relaxed with this heat?"

Victor frowned when he climbed from the air-conditioned vehicle. "I don't remember it being this hot." Sweat started to bead on his forehead.

Prompto was glad for the tanktop he had pulled from the top of the pile in his pack though it didn't do much to cool him off once he stepped into the heat. It was almost bordering on unbearable.

"Come on," Jasmine said, typing up her long hair. "Let's go see if they have any rooms at the LeVille."

The LeVille was a beautiful hotel hidden among the city. Prompto's eyes had been glued to the sights around him and his fingers itched for a camera he did not have. A sign in front of the Leville read that all refugees were welcome and a man behind the counter smiled kindly at them when he saw their appearances. While they all had taken a shower the night before, the exhaustion and stress of having one's home destroyed still weighed heavily on their shoulders.

"Will you be needing rooms?" He asked.

"Yes," Jasmine answered. "Two, please and we can pay once we exchange our money."

"You're from Insomnia, yes?"

The four of them nodded.

"Rooms are free of charge until you are fully back on your feet. We understand that those from the city have lost everything except what they may carry." They all nodded in agreement at this. "So we are here for you until things begin to look better."

Rose and Jasmine's eyes misted. Even Prompto felt tears burn his eyes. It was nice to see people being so kind after something so cruel had happened to them. It gave them faith in humanity.

"Thank you," Jasmine said as she took both keys offered to her and turned to face the rest of them. "I was thinking that Rose and I can share a room while Prompto and Victor share the other one." 

When Jasmine went to hand the key to Victor, he waved it off. "I have a friend I'll be staying with here."

"The one you vacation here with?" Prompto asked, curious.

Victor looked sad again, which was such a different look to his normally cheerful one. "Sadly, no. He's still in Altissia." Prompto wanted to say something to comfort him but Victor just plastered another smile on his face. "How about we meet later for dinner?"

"My treat!" Three voices said at the same time before dissolving into giggles.

"We'll pay for ourselves and split yours," Rose said, still smiling. "So you better get something expensive." She threw her arms around Victor in a hug. Jasmine followed.

"Thank you so much for everything, Victor," Jasmine said. "We wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." She kissed his cheek before leaving with Rose to head up to their room.

"She's right," Prompto said when it was just the two of them. "Without you, none of us would be here."

"It's nothing. I saw people that needed help and I helped them. Any decent person would have done the same."

"You're more than just decent." Prompto smiled and placed a hand on the silver-haired man's shoulder. "And about your friend in Altissia. I hope the two of you get reunited soon. You deserve to be fully happy with him."

This time it was Victor's eyes that filled before he threw his arms around Prompto. "Thank you," he said. "I think I deserve to be happy, too. And I hope you regain any memory that you've lost."

"I hope so, too."

Victor smiled. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Prompto nodded and waved as the other man walked away. Clutching his room key, Prompto turned to head up the staircase but then remembered the money in his pocket. The girls had probably wanted to settle in before heading out but he knew that once he saw the bed in his room, he'd fall asleep and probably wouldn't wake up until dinner time.

He went up to the counter and spoke with the same man as before to see where the nearest money exchange place was. After the man gave him very detailed directions, Prompto made a note to leave him a sizable tip at some point during his stay. However long that may be.

Insomnia was destroyed and he doubted plans to rebuild were happening. Lestallum would be his new home, which meant he would need to look for a job. He couldn't stay at the hotel for the rest of his life. But all of that could wait. He had just gotten there and after the last few days he'd had, he deserved a rest.

When he reached his destination and exchanged his money, it took all of his willpower to not go to the nearest restaurant or cafe to order whatever spicy food they had to be cooking. Spicy food was his favorite, which was something he hadn't had much of back in Insomnia unless he ordered take out. He didn't know how to make it, either.

_ "I made your favorite, darling. Green curry soup." _

_ "Did you make it extra spicy?" _

_ "Of course." _

The voice from his dream invaded his thoughts in what seemed like a memory. He didn't know the voice and he'd never had green curry soup before. Was the sun and heat getting to him? Was it frying his brain?

As he was admiring the different sites around him on his way back to the Leville, he felt a tug on the bag on his arm and then, it was being ripped away from him. He turned just in time to see a hooded man running away with his belongings.

"Hey!" He shouted and took off after the thief. He knew he should have at least dumped it off in his room before leaving. Thankfully, all of his newly acquired gil was in his pocket. But the bag held all of his clothes and the gun he had planned on buying bullets for eventually.

It wasn't long before Prompto lost the man in the twisting streets and alleys of Lestallum. Giving up, he stopped and slumped against one of the cobble stone buildings, catching his breath. At least he still had money to buy new clothes but he hoped the thief found all of the clothes in the bag too small for him.

"Hey, man," a voice called out.

Prompto looked around to see if they were talking to him and saw a man at the window of a small building across from him. Wanted posters of creatures and daemons covered the outside walls and behind the man were rows of weapons.

"Looks like you could use a little help."

"I...guess. Some guy took my things. Do you know him? Could you tell me where to find him?" He didn't know what he would do if he found the thief besides demand for his stuff back. If the man was armed, then Prompto would be out of luck.

"No," the man said regretfully and looked genuine about it. "Unfortunately, thieves have been getting a lot bolder around here with more and more refugees coming to town."

"That's...terrible." It sickened Prompto that there were people out there who would take advantage of those who had just lost everything. He knew he was more fortunate than most but it still stung.

"Yeah," the man agreed. "Unfortunately, I can't put up hunts for humans." He gestured to the walls of posters. "But maybe you can take out your frustration on one of these guys."

Prompto came closer to the man's store and peered at the yellow pages. "I've never hunted anything before."

"That's fine. I can start you off small." He tore off a poster and handed it to Prompto. It read: "Wanted: For habitat destruction. Voretooths"

"Voretooth," the man explained. "They're like scary looking dogs. You can collect bristles from them and sell them. Sometimes shops, like myself, have uses for them."

Prompto looked up from the paper. "What makes you think I can handle it?"

The man shrugged. "I don't. But I think you should at least try. You might get a few scratches and bruises but you'll come back alive."

The blonde man thought for a moment. Though he didn't need money at the moment, he knew he would in the future and this was as good a job as any. Maybe he'd go on a few hunts, save up a bit and find an apartment.

"Okay," he finally said. "Now what do you recommend I should use to hunt it?"

"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" The man stepped aside and allowed Prompto an unobstructed view of the weapons behind him.

Immediately his eye went to the rack of guns and something in his mind seemed to click. There had been a gun in his pack, which meant he knew how to use it. Or he assumed he did. In that small chunk of memory he was missing, he could have learned.

"How much for the gun?"

"If you do this hunt and bring back some bristles for me to sell, then it's free."

"Okay," he agreed.

The man handed him the weapon and a few cases of bullets. When Prompto gripped the handle, it all seemed to come back to him. He felt very comfortable with the gun in his hand, which at the moment he didn't know if it was a good or bad thing.

"You can go on the hunt tomorrow," the man said. "Meet here around mid-morning. Someone will go with you for your first hunt."

"Great," Prompto said, relieved. While he thought he could handle himself on his own, he was glad that someone else would be out there to watch his back.

"By the way," the man said and held out a hand. "The name's Al."

Prompto gripped the hand in a firm shake. "Prompto."

\-----------------------

It was almost twilight by the time the group reached the rendezvous point the Marshall had instructed them to. Cor stood underneath what looked to be a steel lookout platform. They wondered if M.Ts had originally occupied the area.

"Cutting it kind of close," Cor remarked when they approached. From the tone, they couldn't tell if he was teasing or not. His face was as unreadable as ever.

"Got here as fast as we could," Gladio responded first. "Even went over the speed limit, which Iggy  _ never _ does."

The comment was meant for levity and when Gladio nudged Ignis in the ribs, Ignis offered him a small smile. Though everything in him wanted to do the opposite. The closer they got to Cor's location, the heavier Ignis' foot was on the pedal. Adrenaline was already spiking in his veins.

"What is it you need us to do?" Ignis brought the attention to the matter at hand. Destroying a Niflheim blockade and ripping MTs apart.

The plan that Cor explained was pretty simple. Sneak in, fight any Niffs they came across and open the blockade.

Under the cover of night, the four of them reached the blockade. Cor led the way and halted them once they reached their entry point. Once inside, they would split up. Ignis would go with Gladio and Noct would go with the Marshall.

"Wish the kid was here," Cor said, sighing. It was the closet he would come to admitting grief for Prompto. "He would have been able to snipe for us."

Ignis swallowed a lump in his throat. "He would have loved to hear you say that, Marshall. He looked up to you."

"He was going to make one hell of a Crownsguard."

Ignis was too afraid to speak lest he start crying and now was definitely not the time for that. So he nodded his thanks to Cor and promptly looked away from him to focus his mind once more.

"All right," Cor said after a silent moment, in which they were all thinking about Prompto. "Let's go."

\-----------------

Destroying the blockade had been...easy.

Despite the number of MTs around, the four of them had made quick work of them. When Loqi Tummelt showed up on his Max Cuirass, they were hyped and running on adrenaline. Niflheim’s brigadier general didn't stand a chance against the four of them.

After the battle, Cor approached Noct and told the young King that after he had witnessed him in battle his mind was put at ease.

"And you have two great fighters behind you, watching your back." Cor looked past Noct at Gladio and Ignis and gave them a nod. "You're in good hands."

"Could have told you that," Noct said with a smirk.

"What our King means is thank you, Marshall," Ignis said, stepping beside Noct.

Cor smiled, a very rare sight. "Now go and find the rest of the Royal Arms. I'm going to keep an eye on Niflheim. I may need your assistance again in the future."

"We'll be ready when you do," Gladio responded.

"And I'll still keep a lookout for Prompto." Cor squeezed Noct's shoulder, gave them a wave and walked away.

"Come on, guys," Noct said a moment later. "I think after today, we deserve a night in a hotel."

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I add a tiny bit of Victuuri angst? Maaayyybbee. Sorry if this seems a little OC heavy.
> 
> We're getting close to a reunion, I promise!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, commenting and leaving kudos. I really appreciate it :) Updates for his may come slower though :( I just got offered a 1st grade teaching position on Wednesday and I start tomorrow. This has been a blessing because it's been something I've been stressing about all summer. It's been 2 years since I've had my own classroom.
> 
> Things are getting more exciting and I'll definitely continue writing as I work

For dinner that night, Victor led them to a restaurant that overlooked the Disc. It was beautiful and the prices on the more expensive side, which Rose, Jasmine and Prompto shared a pleased grin at. Prompto practically drooled over the number of spicy options on the menu. Green curry soup caught his eye and Prompto knew he had to try it. Supposedly it was his favorite food.

Once their orders had been taken, the four of them settled down to talk. Much like they had at the diner. Jasmine and Rose looked blurry eyed from the naps they had taken earlier. Victor looked a little more cheerful from the last time Prompto had seen him. His smile did not seem forced.

"I spoke with my beloved today!" He announced with barely contained glee and a flush on his cheeks.

"The person you're staying with here?" Rose asked.

"No, he's the friend I was going to see in Altissa. Communication has been spotty since Insomnia fell but I finally got a hold of him! There's still no ferries but at least I got to hear his voice." Victor sighed wistfully.

"So, he's your boyfriend?" Jasmine asked. With how Victor talked about his friend they had all suspected there was something more but didn't want to make assumptions until he confirmed them.

"Yes. If everything had worked out, he would have been my fiance now." This time when Victor sighed, it was with a droop to his shoulders.

"I'm sorry." Rose comforted with a soothing hand to his back.

"How come he's in Altissia and you were in Insomnia?" Prompto asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"It was for work," the other man answered. "I was in the process of being transferred to Altissia. It was going to be a surprise and I headed to Altissia to tell my love and then, I was going to propose."

"Aww," the girls cooed. It didn't take long for the three of them to start talking about weddings and what Victor had planned for his future one.

It wasn't that Prompto wasn't interested but he'd been struck with a sudden headache that pounded at his temples and the images of him grabbing clothes from a drawer and a glimpse of a little black box nestled in the corner assaulted his mind.

\---------------------

After dinner, the four of them went their separate ways with a promise to get together again soon. Victor went back to his friend's place, Rose and Jasmine went to explore more of the city and Prompto went back to the LeVille, hoping to finally fall into bed and sleep. Though it wasn't that late and the sun was still up, he knew he needed to get some rest for his first hunt tomorrow.

At the hotel, there was a different man behind the counter, who greeted Prompto as he walked inside. Instantly the air-conditioning hit him and it felt like such a relief on his heated skin. He didn't know how the residents of Lestallum could stand the heat.

Walking into his room, he saw that his shopping bags were still on the bed where he had left them before going to dinner. After talking with Al at the weapons shop, he happened across a small thrift shop. It was like divine intervention since all he had were the clothes on his back. At the shop, he was able to buy several articles of clothing and didn't mind spending the money since he had a source of income for now.

It also made Prompto wonder, as he had been in the process of purchasing the clothes, how many other people had found refuge in Lestallum with  _ less _ than they had come with. Thinking about that again made him angry and he decided it was time to take a shower, to hopefully cool down a little.

Fortunately, he had clean underwear that he had  _ not _ bought at the thrift shop.

After the shower, he felt a lot better and finally allowed himself to settle on the bed. There was a slight uncomfortable feeling as his bones settled but soon he found his eyes slipping closed. Before he could fall all the way asleep, he kicked off the blanket and crawled under the thin sheet. Despite the AC, Lestallum's heat could still be felt.

If this was how hot it would be all the time, Prompto wasn't sure if this was a place he actually wanted to live. But where else could he go?

\-----------------------

_ "Iggy?" _

_ Ignis' eyes fluttered open at the whisper and he turned his head to find Prompto sitting against the headboard of their bed. His legs were curled to his chest and his hair looked messy, messier than bedhead. Like he had run his hands through it multiple times. It was an anxious tick of Prompto's and the reason why he styled his hair everyday. If it was styled he was less likely to run his hands through it and ruin the look. _

_ Ignis fully woke up when he saw the nervous drumming of his boyfriend's fingers against his legs. "What is it, darling?" He sat up to lean against the headboard, as well. _

_ "Do you think your uncle will like me?" _

_ Ignis wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it but knew this was no laughing matter. This was something that had bothered Prompto since Ignis had told him that he wished to visit his uncle while they accompanied Noctis to Altissia and his upcoming wedding to Lady Lunafreya. _

_ "Of course, he will. In fact, he already does." _

_ "But how? I know you've told him about me but I'm sure it's just the good stuff. His opinion can change the moment he actually sees me in person." He hugged his legs tighter. "What if he hates me so much he'll make us break up? Or-" _

_ "Love," Ignis interrupted and reached for one of Prompto's hands. It took a few seconds for the blonde to relinquish the grip on his leg. "He likes you now and when the two of you meet, he'll like you even  _ more _. Especially when he sees how happy you make me." He pressed a kiss to Prompto's temple. _

_ Prompto sighed, some tension seemed to leave his shoulders as he leaned against Ignis. "I know I'm being stupid and crazy but I know how important he is to you and I want to make a good impression." _

_ "You're not being stupid or crazy, at all. These are genuine concerns you have. Silly ones in my opinion," he said with a smile. "But genuine. And while I know with certainty that my uncle will love you, if there was a chance he didn't like you and wished for me to break things off, I would never. I love you too much to let you go." _

_ With those words Prompto fully relaxed against him. "I love you, too, Ignis. So much. I...I never thought I could love someone as much as I love you." _

_ "The same goes for me, as well."  _

_ A swell of emotion erupted in Ignis' chest and he blinked back tears. "I...I never thought I would have  _ this _ with someone and then, you stumbled into my life." _

_ "Literally," Prompto sniffled with a smile. This time the tears on his face were happy ones. _

Ignis woke up with tears on his cheeks. For him, they were far from happy ones. The dream that had shown him a memory of Prompto and one of their last nights together before they found out that Prompto could no longer go to Altissia, had brought him such sadness that he felt cold with it. And with no Prompto beside him, he'd never feel warm again.

Thankfully, no one shared the bed with him so when he finally climbed from it, he hadn't disturbed one of his companions. Gladio and Noct snored in the other bed. While Noct had grumbled about sharing a bed with the larger man, he had done it knowing that it was Ignis' turn to have a bed to himself.

So, he slept alone. Much like he would sleep alone for the rest of his life.

\-----------------

Promtpo woke the next morning feeling refreshed and after a quick breakfast from a nearby food stand, he was on his way to the weapons shop. Fortunately the way there was simple and he hadn't gotten lost. When he did arrive, he was surprised to find a girl standing in front of the shop. On her back was a scary looking sword that looked able to do a lot of damage. It almost looked too heavy for her petite frame. She wore a black tank top that was matched with a red and black plaid skirt and boots. Her hair was brown and stopped just above her shoulders. When she turned to face him, he saw that her eyes were an amber color and that she was on the phone. Seeing him, she gave him a little wave and went back to her conversation.

"I can't wait until you get here," she was saying with a flush to her cheeks. "It's been so long since we got to hang out."

There was a pause as the person the other end spoke. From the sound of it, it seemed like she was speaking to a boyfriend or someone she really liked.

"Oh, and don't tell Gladdy but I'm going on my first hunt today! Not by myself, though. Not yet. But this should be enough to show my brother that I can handle myself." She laughed and peeked at Prompto once more. "Well, I should go. My partner is here and we're about to head out."

Once she hung up, the girl skipped over to Prompto and held out a hand. "Hi! I'm Iris."

Prompto shook her hand, surprised at her strong grip. "Prompto. Are you the one coming with me?"

Instantly, the smile vanished from her face. "Why? Didn't think you would be partnered with a girl?"

"Honestly, no. But I don't mind. You look pretty capable of using that sword of yours." She was probably more capable at her weapon than he would be at his.

"You're damn right, I am!" She crossed her arms and gave him a steely look. The gesture and look seemed so familiar to Prompto that his head started to pound.

Maybe they had gone to school together and had passed one another in the halls. But before he could ask, Al popped his head out of the window to his shop with a good morning and a pair of keys dangling from his fingers.

Iris sntached them before Prompto even moved. "I'll drive!" She announced with a smug grin sent Prompto's way.

"Good luck!" All called after them as Prompto followed Iris to the truck.

\-------------------

Noct had just gotten off the phone as Ignis finished filling the Regalia with gas. Gladio was lounging in the back seat with a book. He closed it once Noct got closer.

"So what did my little sister have to say?" He asked with a smirk.

"Just said that she couldn't wait to see me," Noct answered with a huff and took a seat in the front.

"Uh huh. I see she still hasn't outgrown her crush."

"Nope."

Gladio kicked the back of Noct's seat and laughed. When they had been younger and Iris had hung out with them more, she had been attached to Noct's side. However, in the last few years she had started hanging out with her friend's more and only saw Noct at formal events. The crush still hadn't gone away, though.

Ignis climbed into the car and started it. "If we have no stops," he said to his two friends. "We should be able to reach Lestallum by lunch."

\----------------------

The Voretooths were said to be a few miles out from Lestallum and in the opposite direction from where Prompto had arrived in the city. So the sites he was seeing as Iris drove were new ones. Though not much besides dirt, grass and trees, Prompto was still excited to see more of the world.

Iris, instead of starting small talk, started talking about strategies. "Since you have a gun," she said, eyes never leaving the road. "You can start by crippling the Voretooth from afar. Then, I'll deliver the final blows with my sword. That way we don't risk you shooting me or me slicing your head off."

Prompto gulped. "Good plan." He just hoped he was a good enough shot to carry out his part of the plan. if not, this may be more difficult for Iris.

When they spotted the Voretooths, they counted five. iris parked the truck and the pair made their way to the beasts, which were even uglier in person. At several yards out, they still hadn't seen the two humans sneaking up on them, but Prompto and Iris stopped. The blonde knew what he had to do.

Carefully, he took out the gun from the holster Al had provided as well and held it up to aim. His hand shook with nerves but the feel of the gun wasn't foreign. At some point in his life, he had wielded a weapon like this.

He willed his hand to stop shaking. Once he popped off the first shot, the Voretooth would know they were there and charge. After that his targets would be moving. So the first shot had to count.

Prompto took a deep breath and fired...

...One Voretooth went down and didn't come back up. A headshot. He had gotten a headshot on his first shot.

Iris looked at him with wide eyes. However, there was no time for explanation or words of disbelief. The other four beasts were coming this way and Prompto had a job to do.

Prompto fired off more shots as Iris bounced off her toes beside him, ready to fight. Only one of the shots outright killed another Voretooth but the rest were crippled. When Iris held up a hand, Prompto stopped firing and stepped back to allow the girl to do her part of the plan.

It didn't take long for Iris to finish off the rest of the beasts. The pair high fived at the success of their first hunt.

After making sure the Voretooths were really dead, they began collecting as many bristles as they could from the beasts. They weren't sure how many Al wanted but figured they'd picked more than enough. Iris produced a bad and they stuffed their findings inside.

"I think that's a job well done, partner," Iris said, surveying their work. There would be no more habitat destruction happening because of these animals.

"Almost wish we had taken on another hunt," Prompto lamented as they made their way to the truck. He had the keys this time. "This one was a lot easier and quicker than I expected."

"Yeah," Iris agreed. "But at least this way we can be back for lunch."

\--------------------

Victor had decided to do a little shopping for fresh produce at the market as a way to thank his friend for allowing Victor to live with him for the foreseeable future, which he hoped wasn't long. He needed to be with his Yuuri.

He hadn't meant to stop at a stall selling knick knacks. The man watching the shop looked shifty but his wares looked interesting.

One thing in particular caught his way. It was a picture frame, a beautiful one with metal engravings outlining it. A photo of him and his love would look lovely inside of it. But the frame wasn't what had made him pause. It was the picture already inside it.

Victor picked it up, to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

"Stock photo," the man behind the counter said. "It lets you see how a picture will look in the frame."

"Uh huh," Victor replied. He knew what a stock photo was for. 

However, not many stock photos had Prompto in them.

\--------------

Victor bought the frame. Stock photo or not, he was sure that this would help Prompto with his missing chunk of memory. The man in the picture could be his boyfriend or he could have been a model in Insomnia.

After dropping off the groceries at the apartment he was staying in, Victor made his way to the Leville with the picture frame clutched in his hand. But a sight stopped him dead in his tracks.

Walking up the main drag of Lestallum was a group of three men. The tall man with the sandy brown hair turned in Victor's direction, causing him to almost drop the picture. He had to glance between the picture and man several times before he realized it.

The man kissing Prompt's cheek in the picture was standing just a few feet in front of him.

"Excuse me," he called, voice cracking. Neither of the three turned. So, he tried again. "Excuse me!" This time he said it louder and more confident.

The shortest of the three turned his way, his hair was as dark as Yuuri's, and he nudged the tall, slender man when he saw that Victor was talking to them. Quickly, Victor approached.

"Yes?" The man from the picture asked with an accent. "Is there something we can help you with?"

Victor had meant to ask them questions, specifically if they knew Prompto and how they may have known him. But words seemed to fail him (which they often did not). He shoved the frame at the man's chest (and vowed to apologize later). "Is this you?"

The man took the frame from Victor and after glancing at it, started to sway on his feet. The other two men lunged to steady him.

"Ignis?" The shorter, dark-haired man asked, looking worried.

The slender man, Ignis, handed him the photo. "It's...It's Prompto."

That was when the tallest and biggest of the men looked at Victor with a menacing glare. " _ Where _ did you get this?"

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said this last chapter but we're getting close to a reunion! (If not next chapter, then definitely the one after)


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Teaching 1st grade has been taking up ALL of my time lately so I haven't had any time to write :( this isn't my best work but I still hope you enjoy it!

There were two things Ignis noticed about Lestallum the moment he stepped out of the Regalia. The heat and the smell of spices that lingered in the air.

Prompto would have loved it here.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he motioned for Noctis to lead the way. Not that the younger man knew his way around the city but because he was the King and Ignis always followed his charge.

"This place is hot!" Noct complained before they even reached the main part of the city. However, he was wearing black clothing and the sun was bearing down on them from above. For once, Ignis understood Gladio's need to have his shirt unbuttoned.

"Yes, it is," Ignis agreed. "Let us find the Leville and hopefully relax in some air-conditioning." His hair was starting to get limp with the combination of the heat and driving with the top down.

It was while they are walking up the cobbled steps that Ignis' world got turned upside down. Again.

A handsome man with silver hair and a young face approached them with an 'excuse me'. There was a furrow in his brow and he clutched a picture frame in his hands. "Is this you?" The man asked as he thrust the frame at Ignis.

Ignis didn't know what to expect when he flipped it over but Prompto's smiling face was definitely not it. Ignis remembered this picture and remembered it's place in their bedroom. It was one of Prompto's favorites and his, as well.

Immediately, he felt his knees get weak. Gladio and Noct each grabbed an elbow to prevent him from falling. When Gladio saw the picture, he sent a glare at the other man and demanded to know where he had gotten it.

The man, who was as tall and thin as Ignis, took a step back. "I-I found it in the market. But I know him! The blonde." He pointed to Prompto. "He's Prompto and we came to Lestallum together."

"He's...alive," Ignis whispered. Gladio and Noct led him to a bench, where he collapsed.

"Yes!" The man said, excitedly. "Very much so. In fact, I can take you to where he's staying."

This jolted Ignis and he grabbed the man's hands. "Please."  _ I need to see him _ , he said to himself.  _ I need to see for myself that he's alive. _ And if this was another false alarm?Ignis didn't know if he could take it.

\----------------------

Iris and Prompto returned to Lestallum just as the sun was at its highest, which made them thankful that they hadn't taken another hunt. They went to Al's shop and deposited the bristles. The man congratulated them and gave them a few bristles they could sell at the market.

"If you want another hunt, just come here and talk to me," he explained. "There are also other places in Lestallum that have hunts posted, as well. The more you do, the more they'll want to hire you for the more difficult ones. Those will give you more gil."

Iris and Prompto looked to one another and smiled. While Iris had expressed an interest in hunting on her own, she had also said that it would be cool if they could go on a few hunts together again. She'd wanted to exchange numbers but Prompto no longer had a phone since it had been in his bag and even then, it had been broken. Iris had written her number down anyway and told him to get in touch with her when he finally got one.

After meeting with Al, they went their separate ways. Iris went back to the hotel, where she said her brother and his friends would be. Her face was flushed again and Prompto wondered if one of those friends was the one she had a crush on.

Prompto waved goodbye to her and went to the market where he exchanged the bristles. Then, he went in search of a place to buy a new phone.

\----------------------

It took everything in Ignis not to shout at Victor, who had introduced himself as they walked, to go faster. Prompto was waiting for him, was within his grasp after several days apart from one another. Days in which Ignis had thought Prompto was dead.

The Leville was a beautiful building but no one stopped and admired it before they rushed inside the lobby. The man behind the counter greeted them and only seemed a little startled when Victor leaned a little over the counter to see if Prompto had left.

The man didn't know but called up to his room. There was no answer.

"He could be in the shower," Victor said. "I can ta-"

"Gladdy!"

The four turned to the entrance of the lobby just as a short girl launched herself at the biggest member of the group. Gladio wrapped her up in his massive arms and swung her around. At least there was one happy reunion happening in the lobby.

That is until Gladio noticed the sword.

"What's this?" He asked after setting Iris down.

Iris crossed her arms and glared up at her big brother. "A sword. You should know that."

"I do but why do you have one?"

The look on Iris' face doesn't change, if anything, it intensifies. "I went on a hunt," she said in a way that dared Gladio to get angry.

Gladio must have not gotten the hint because he snapped out a, "What?"

"Don't worry, I didn't go alone."

" _ What _ ? You went with a stranger? On a hunt? Where you had to attack wild beasts?"

"Yes."

Gladio's fists clenched and unclenched. Noct looked between the two, unsure of what to do, Victor's eyes were round and Ignis just wanted to see Prompto. He opened his mouth to speak but Iris beat him to it.

"And I'm going to go on more hunts because I can take care of myself. Just ask Prompto."

All of them froze.

"What?" Noct said first.

When Iris turned her attention to the dark-haired man, her eyes brightened. "Prompto was the person I went on the hunt with. He was super nice and was super cool with his gun. He took down some of the Voretooths with just one shot!"

Prompto. Guns. It  _ had _ to be the same person.

"Where's Prompto now?" Gladio asked, not seeming quite as angry anymore.

"I think he went to the market," she answered. "He needed to get a new phone."

Ignis sucked in a breath. That was why he hadn't heard from Prompto. It was because his phone had been broken or lost. So that meant he had just missed Cor at Hammerhead and had made his way here.

"I can show you where the market is from here," Victor piped up from behind the group.

"Please," Ignis said and then, they were on the move again.

In just moments, Ignis would finally be reunited with the love of his life, his Prompto and he didn't know if his heart could take it. It felt like it would beat right out of his chest.

This time the pace to the market was a quick one and immediately Ignis used his height to his advantage and looked for a familiar blonde head. He was half tempted to start pushing people out of his way but he knew he was a better man than that.

"Look!" Noct's cry had Ignis whipping around and there  _ he _ was.

The love of his life, who was very much  _ alive _ .

"Prompto!" He called but the name came out barely a whisper. Emotion was taking over him and if he didn't start moving, he'd collapse. He waited until he was only feet away. Tears misted in his eyes.

"Prompto," he said.

The blonde, freckled young man looked his way. There was no widen-eyed look of surprise, no gasp, no smile and no launch into Ignis' arms.

Instead, Prompto took one look at Ignis and asked, "Who are you?"

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Teaching virtually is problem one of the hardest and most exhausting thing I have ever done. But I have 3 days of school this week and then, I'm on Fall Break!! :D

Ignis heart shattered. No. It had already shattered awhile ago. Now, it felt like it was being ground to dust, never to be whole again. How much more damage could it take?

"Prompto, it's Ignis," Noct said, coming to Ignis' side. Eyes wide. Behind him stood Gladio, Iris and Victor.

Prompto's eyes widened slightly as they roamed over Ignis' body. The taller man held his breath. Maybe this was all a prank. A very cruel one and one he couldn't see Prompto pulling on him. But he would forgive the blonde anything now that Ignis saw he was still alive.

"You!" He finally said. "You're the one from my dream!"

_ I'm the one from your heart _ , Ignis wanted to cry, to shout.  _ The one from your life! We're together. We're lovers! _ Instead, only a breathless "Oh" escaped his mouth.

"I think we were in your apartment," Prompto continued as if he hadn't noticed the way Ignis was slowly crumbling away.

_ Our apartment, _ Ignis wanted to say, his mouth still glued shut. _ We lived there together. _

"I didn't recognize it and you were in the kitchen cooking something called green curry soup. You told me it was my favorite but I had never had it before. So I tried it here. It was amazing!"

"You've never had green curry soup?" Noct all but exploded. Maybe this was a conversation they should be having somewhere else. Not in the middle of a crowded market. "You love that stuff. Before you and Ignis got together, he made it  _ all _ the time to try and win you over."

Normally that would have embarrassed Ignis, no matter how true it was, but now he was doing everything in his power not to cry. Prompto didn't remember him, he didn't remember their time together and didn't seem to love him.

All this time, Ignis had grieved for the man he loved, desperate to have Prompto back in his arms while Prompto had traveled with a group of strangers to Lestallum and hadn't even known Ignis existed.

Obviously something had happened for Prompto to lose his memory. The blonde wouldn't have just up and forgotten Ignis. That gave him a sliver of hope that the effects of his memory loss could be reversed. But when they would be, Ignis would never know.

At this point, he was almost out of hope.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Noct asked. They had managed to shuffle themselves from the middle of the market to slightly off to the side. People were no longer glaring their way.

Prompto seemed to freeze at the question, eyes scrunching shut as he seemed to think hard. "I remember school had just let out for the summer." He opened his eyes and looked at Noct. "We were making plans to walk to the arcade and then, we were going to spend the night at your place."

That could have been the start of any number of summer breaks for the two best friends.

"Were you out for the summer for high school or college?" Ignis asked. While Noct hadn't gone to university since most of his schooling to become king had happened at the Citadel, Prompto still had gone and Noctis had always celebrated the beginning of any breaks from school with him.

Prompto paled, causing his freckles to stick out. "I'm in...college?"

So the memory loss seemed to expand years. Of course Ignis had suspected this since Prompto had no idea who he was and they had first met five years ago.

"Do you remember what year of high school had just ended?" Noct jumped in with the next question when it looked like Prompto was about to freak out.

The question only seemed to calm Prompto downa tiny bit. Enough to answer. "Yeah. It was freshman year."

This time they all froze, except for Victor who was just looking between each of them as they spoke. Prompto's memory loss was five years old.

"I was going to your place for the first time," Prompto said, his voice a little shaky. "We were going to stay up all night playing games and watching movies."

That had been the first night Ignis and Prompto had met. Ignis had known about the blonde before and had been able to run a background check before Noct asked to have him over. While Ignis hadn't fallen in love with Prompto that night, he had enjoyed his time in the younger man's presence.

"Do you remember much after that? Like how you found yourself outside Insomnia?"

Prompto paused for a moment this time. "I remember planning with Noct to hang out, then I woke up outside Insomnia, at the bottom of some concrete steps. Based on the gash on my head that was probably what caused my memory loss." His hand went to the wound at the back of his head. There was a bandage there. "After waking up, I started walking and soon came across Victor, Rose and Jasmine. I originally thought my memory loss was only a month since school would have only let out last month.

His voice grew quiet. "But that's not the case now, huh?"

"You're not fifteen anymore, Prompto," Gladio spoke for the first time since they came across Prompto. "You're twenty."

Everyone reached for Prompto when he started to sway on his feet.

"Come on," Ignis said, stepping to Prompto's side. "Let's have this conversation elsewhere. Preferably, somewhere air-conditioned."

"I-I have a room at the LeVille," Prompto offered.

"Then, let us head that way."

Prompto stiffened when Ignis slipped an arm around his waist to keep him steady. Immediately he retracted the arm and Noct took the spot with an apologetic look at Ignis. Gladio clasped a comforting hand on Ignis' shoulder as they trailed behind Prompto and Noctis to the hotel.

When they reached the LeVille, Victor hesitated before they reached the plus, red carpeted steps. They had almost forgotten he was there.

"Do you want me to come with you?" He asked Prompto. "Not that I don't trust your friends but in case you need some support."

Ignis gritted his teeth and swallowed the urge to tell the man that they all knew Prompto longer than him and Prompto didn't need him around. But at that moment, Prompto had known Victor longer than Ignis.

"I'm fine," Prompto answered and gave Victor a wan smile. "Thank you for bringing them to me."

"You're welcome!" He pulled Prompto into a fierce hug and seemed to be whispering something into the blonde's ear. Prompto's face grew red as he glanced Ignis' way over Victor's shoulder before quickly skirting away.

"I'll get us a room," Ignis announced. "Why don't you get Prompto settled and I'll join you in just a bit."

"You sure, Iggy? I can do it." Glad said, looking concerned. Behind him, Prompto was waving at Victor, then was following Noct up the stairs.

"I'll be fine. It'll only take a few moments." It would be nowhere near enough time for Ignis to clear his mind or for him to compose himself but a few moments was better than nothing.

Gladio didn't say anything more to him and allowed Ignis to walk over to the front desk before going up the stairs after Noct and Prompto.

\-----------------

Noctis wasn't a crier.

When he was younger, he cried a lot. Like most young children. But then again, he'd also been through more tragedy than most children his age. His mother had been killed in a daemon attack, he had been severely injured and taken away from his home. Then, he'd had to watch the girl he'd befriended while away get taken by Niflheim.

The news of his father's death hadn't brought tears. Not that he hadn't been sad. He'd been in shock and still was. He still couldn't believe that his father was gone and his home was destroyed. Then, in the midst of that, he had thought his best friend had been one of the many killed in the attack.

Still there had been no tears.

But when they found Prompto in the middle of the market, tears had pricked in Noct's eyes. Things seemed to be looking up.

Then, Prompto hadn't recognized Ignis, the love of his life, and Noct's heart broke for his close friend and Advisor. Things had been rough for him over the past several days as well and to find out the man you loved didn't remember you... Noct wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Hopefully, they could help bring Prompto's memories back. At the very least, Noct didn't plan on leaving Prompto's side until all five years of their friendship was remembered.

Prompto fumbled a little with his room key before inserting in the lock and opening the door. "Sorry for the mess," he said as he stepped aside to allow Gladio and Noct inside the room.

Of course the room wasn't messy, not even by Ignis' standards. There were just a few bags of clothes on one of the beds. Noct couldn't help but notice the lack of camera, which made his heart sink. Prompto probably hadn't had time to grab it before fleeing Insomnia.

"You two can take a seat on the couch if you want. I-Ignis can take the chair when he gets here." Prompto stumbled a little over Ignis' name before taking a seat at the edge of the uncluttered bed. He fiddled with his hands in his lap and looked down on them.

For the first time since Noct and Prompto had met, there was an awkward silence between them.

"So...how have you been?" 

Even Gladio winced at the awkward question.

Prompto clasped his hands together before making a face and gripped the edge of the bed instead. "I've been good. This is only my second day in Lestallum and everyone has been so nice. Except for the guy who stole my bag" the last part Prompto muttered with a dark look.

Noct and Gladio glanced at one another. "That must be why Victor saw your picture at the market."

"Maybe we should go back and ask that shop keeper a few questions." Gladio cracked his knuckles.

"What picture?" Prompto perked.

In all of the excitement from finding Prompto alive and well, they had forgotten the reason why they had found Prompto in the first place. The picture Victor had shown them.

"Iggy must still have it," Gladio said when it turned out that neither one of them still had the photo. "He should be here soon."

Right on cue, there was a soft knock on the door.

For a moment, no one moved and two pairs of eyes went to Prompto, who had gone a little pale.Finally, the blonde hopped off the bed and went to open the door. Ignis stood behind it and said a soft 'thank you' to Prompto before walking over to Noct to hand him the room key.

"We're just a few doors down," he said as he took a seat. The whole time, he made sure not to look in Prompto's direction.

Noct took the key and pocketed. "Oh, Specs. Show Prom the picture," Noct said when he saw the frame tucked beneath Ignis' elbow.

"Oh, yes. Of course." Ignis' hand shook as he handed Prompto the photo of the two of them. Prompto's hands were just as shaky as he grasped the metal frame between them.

When he saw it, he gasped. Unconsciously, his fingers brushed over the cheek of Ignis in the picture. "We...We look happy," he said in a voice so small it was almost like a whisper.

But Ignis had heard. "We were," he said, glancing at the blonde. "Very much so." There was more Ignis wanted to say but he kept his mouth closed and his eyes filled with longing for the younger man. Hoping that he would remember their time together.

"I wish I could remember," Prompto finally said before handing the picture back to Ignis.

Tears gathered in Ignis' eyes as he took back the picture and lovingly held it in his hands. "I wish you could, too."

\--------------------

Ignis didn't say much after that as Gladio and Noctis spoke more to Prompto to gauge how much he really did remember. So far, it seemed that the blonde remembered freshman year but nothing after that last day of school.

Ignis hadn't met Prompto until the summer after freshman year. Prompto had always skipped out before following Noct back to the car Ignis had driven to pick the prince up in. Later Prompto had admitted that he had done that because he didn't want it to look like he had wanted a ride from the Prince's Advisor. Of course, Ignis had informed Prompto that he had been ridiculous and that they could have met much sooner.

Outside it grew darker and cooler as the sun lowered. Four stomachs soon were protesting their emptiness. Ignis, wanting to take the first opportunity to escape, stood from his seat. "I'll go and fetch us something to eat," he announced.

"That would be great," said Noct from his spot against Prompto's headboard. He had moved there when he deemed the couch uncomfortable. Prompto sat at the foot of the bed. "I'm starving."

"Can you get something for Iris, too?" Gladio asked. It wasn't just Iris, Ignis knew. It was also for Talcott and Jared. Getting more food meant being away longer and that was fine with Ignis.

"Are you sure?" Prompto asked, glancing at Ignis for the first time in hours. "I can grab us something since this is my room."

"Nonsense. I don't mind getting dinner for all of us. Normally, I would be the one cooking the meal but seeing as you do not have a kitchen..." he trailed off, feeling awkward, which was a feeling he didn't normally feel.

"Uh, okay. I'll give you some money then." Prompto moved from his spot on the bed. Ignis panicked.

"That's quite all right. I'll be right back." And he escaped out the door with a sigh of relief.

\---------

Prompto stared at the door for a long moment after Ignis had rushed out. Victor's words ran through his head. 

I know you don't remember right now, Victor had whispered. But that man loves you. So much. I can tell.

Besides the one dream, Prompto had never seen Ignis before but he knew being near him sent his heart racing. Even though his mind had forgotten Ignis, his body still remembered him.

This caused his face to heat up and he quickly ducked his so the other two men in the room didn't notice.

Noct had moved from his spot on the small couch and joined Prompto on the bed. They leaned against the headboard, their shoulders pressed together, as Noct showed Prompto a game called King's Knight on his phone.

Apparently Prompto had been good at this game and it was odd to see his avatar though he didn't remember making one. There also was a message on a group feed that said ' _ enjoy sleeping on the floor _ ' whatever that meant.

"Um, Noct?" Prompto broke the silence with a wince (there was a lot of that happening in the room). Especially since his voice had cracked on his friend's name. "Not that I'm not having fun or anything but we really haven't talked about what happens now."

"Well," Noct said before pausing and looking at Gladio, who shrugged. "Maybe we should wait until Ignis comes back to have this conversation."

"Uh okay."

They only had to wait another half hour before Ignis came back with his arms laden down with bags of food. Prompto was off the bed and helped him place the containers on the table in seconds. He didn't even have time to be embarrassed when he smelled whatever food Ignis had gotten him. Something spicy.

Ignis' mouth twitched in a sliver of a smile when Prompto took off the lid and inhaled the aroma of his food. 

"Thanks, Iggy!" He said before taking a seat on the floor beside the table. He didn't notice that everyone had frozen in place to stare at him.

"Iggy?" Ignis asked.

"Uh, yeah? That's a nickname for you right?"

"Yes," Ignis answered. "Just didn't know if you remembered it or not."

"I don't know if I did," Prompto said honestly. "It just kind of came out."

"It's progress," Noct remarked with a small smile of his own.

After they were finished eating and their garbage cleaned up, Noct revisited the question Prompto had asked earlier. "I'm on a mission to gather all the Royal Arms in Lucis and then, I'm hoping to find a way to Altissia. To Luna."

"His fiancee," Gladio added.

Noct shot him a look before turning back to Prompto. "I'd like you to come with. Like you were originally supposed to."

Prompto blinked a little in confusion. "Like I was supposed to? How come I didn't?"

Noctis opened his mouth to answer but Ignis beat him. "It wasn't that you didn't want to. It was because you weren't allowed. Noct and Gladio's fathers thought it wouldn't have been a good idea to have you go on a mission where you were supposed to protect Noctis with your life and be in a relationship with me."

Though the Advisor's voice was strong, Noct saw the fist curled at Ignis' side. It was trembling. With what emotion, Noct didn't know.

"Oh," was all Prompto said before his face went red.

"So do you want to come with us? Maybe it'll help get your memories back being around Ig-us all the time." Noct almost slipped and said Ignis' name but knew it would have done more harm than good right then. Prompto seemed slightly uncomfortable around Ignis, understandably so. Noct didn't know how he would react if someone told him that he had lost five years of his life and in those five years he'd been in love with a person he didn't remember.

Prompto seemed to hesitate before finally answering, "Okay...but if I become a burden to you guys, I want you to be honest with me and I'll come back here."

"You got it," Gladio said with a smirk but Noct and Ignis knew he was only about three-fourths kidding. The other one-fourth was completely serious about sending Prompto back if he became a burden to them all. He was much like his father in that respect. There was nothing he wouldn't do to make sure Noct stayed safe.

"When did you want to leave? Not that I can't go right away or anything. I'm just curious."

"I think we planned on sticking around for another day or so," Gladio responded. "We were hoping to do some hunts to make some extra money."

Prompto perked up. "I know just the place!"

\-------------------

Gladio and Ignis were the only two to head to their room later that evening. Noct had decided to stay behind with Prompto and play more King's Knight. Ignis warned them about staying up too late but quickly left the room while doing so. His heart longed to be the one pressed shoulder to shoulder on the bed's headboard with Prompto.

Noct had shot him an apologetic look and Ignis wanted to be mad that the two seemed close despite Prompto's memory loss but knew that Prompto was still Noct's best friend and Noct had missed the blonde just as much as Ignis.

When they reached the room, Ignis went right to one of the beds. With his back to Gladio, who was on the other bed, he quickly changed into his nightclothes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Gladio asked.

"No," Ignis answered, keeping his back turned so that his friend could not see the tears collecting in his eyes. "I just want to sleep. Thank you, though."

"No problem, Iggy. I'm here if you need me."

Ignis laid down on his bed and turned the lamp on the night table off. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is riddle with errors but I'm going to bed after posting this. I will look it over later. Thank you all for reading!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. Work has been hectic. I'm not to happy with the end of this chapter but I hope the beginning of the chapter makes up for it ;)

_ When Prompto woke up, it was to a throbbing in his backside and a stinging at his throat, where Ignis had sucked a bright red hickey. They weren't unpleasant feelings. In fact, they served as a reminder of what had transpired the night before. _

_ The reason currently had an arm around Prompto's middle and was still very much naked, at least that was what the thing poking him in the back was telling him. Prompto turned slowly under the arm until he faced his lover, Ignis Scientia. The most beautiful man in the world and he was all Prompto's. _

_ The blonde smiled at the soft expression on Ignis' face and the equally soft mess of hair fanning the pillow and brushing his forehead. While this was not the first time Prompto had woken up in Ignis' bed with Ignis' curled around him, this was the first time they were naked. _

_ They'd been together six months and had been hesitant about taking the next step in their relationship, both still being virgins (which was something Prompto was shocked about. Ignis was gorgeous and could have anyone he wanted). But Ignis had wanted to wait for the right person. Prompto, too, though he never had any opportunities to lose his virginity he had still wanted to give it to someone special. _

_ And Ignis had been that special someone. _

_ They hadn't planned on falling into bed together the night before. It had just happened. Now, Prompto was pleasantly sore and pressed chest-to-chest with a naked Ignis. _

_ "Mmm," Ignis moaned, still asleep. His arm tightened around Prompto and his hips started to shift. Prompto gripped Ignis tight and moaned...right into Ignis' ear, waking him up. _

_ Ignis' hips stopped moving and Prompto whined at the loss of friction. _

_ "I apologize, dear Prompto," Ignis said, voice raspy and deep with sleep. "I was having an incredible dream." _

_ "Was I in it?" He buried his face in Ignis' chest. _

_ "You were the star. I was unable to keep my hands off you." _

_ "It does sound like an amazing dream." Now, Prompto was rolling his hips into Ignis' with a teasing grin. "Wanna make it a reality?" _

\-----------------

Prompto awoke with a start and a tent in his pajama pants.

Fortunately, Noct had taken the other bed, after clearing Prompto's things from it, and this wasn't as nearly as uncomfortable as it could have been. 

The remnants of the dream still lingered in his mind. But it hadn't felt like a dream. It had felt real. Like he'd experienced it in real life.

It must have been a memory!

Instantly, his face felt hot. It was strange to have a dream about a man he thought he'd just met and even stranger to realize that he was no longer a virgin.

Glancing at the clock beside the bed, he saw that it was early but he'd been up earlier to go on his morning jogs back in Insomnia. So, he decided that he might as well get up for the day.

Plus, there was still that problem in his pants.

A cold shower would be the solution for that, which didn't sound nearly as bad as it would have at any other place. Though the sun had been up only for a little bit he could still feel the heat start to creep into the room.

Twenty minutes later, Prompto emerged from the bathroom, shivering. Noct was still asleep and would most-likely stay asleep for the next few hours. Or until Gladio came banging on the door to get the Prince up for breakfast.

So Prompto decided to warm-up by taking a nice jog around Lestallum. He hadn't done that since high school, which to him was only a few months ago but in reality was over a year ago. He had idea what he had done in terms of working out since then. His body was in pretty good shape (he even had abs!) but wasn't sure what he had done to get them.

Missing a large chunk of his memory was still a lot to take in, even without the fact that he'd apparently had a serious boyfriend during that time. (A seriously hot and well-put together boyfriend, too! And one that he'd been apparently sleeping with).

Then, speaking of boyfriend. When Prompto walked outside of the Leville, movement to his left caught his eye. Turning, he saw that it was Ignis sitting at a small table, sipping at a cup of coffee. He spotted Prompto almost at the same time and he seemed to freeze, eyes widening in what looked like panic before he coughed into his hand and composed himself. If only Prompto could do that so easily.

"Good morning, Prompto!" He called.

"Uh, morning." Prompto took a step closer, though memories of the dream flooded his mind (naked bodies and all) and he felt his face heat up. It wasn't like he could tell Ignis what he had remembered. It was too embarrassing! Why couldn't he have remembered something normal? Like maybe when he and Ignis had first met or even when they'd gone on their first date?

"You're up quite early. Did you sleep well?"

"Uh...yeah! Did you?" It felt awkward to have small talk when Prompto knew that they were way past this in their relationship. After all they had seen each other naked and touched places on each other's body that no one else had....and he needed to stop thinking about that!

Ignis' fingers drummed along the ceramic of his coffee cup. "I slept well, thank you."

"You're lying!" Prompto blurted out before he could stop himself. Then, stood in stunned silence. Where had those words come from?

Ignis blinked at home, taken aback. "Excuse me?"

Then it all came back to him and his mind started to go on autopilot. "You tap your fingers like that whenever you tell a lie." Prompto pointed to the hand Ignis still had wrapped around the mug, though his fingers had stopped moving.

"How...how do you know?" Ignis' voice was little more than a whisper.

"I remembered," Prompto said hesitantly. This memory wasn't like the one from the night before, something that came while he was asleep, but had just popped into his brain like it had always been there.

"I figured it out at some kind of...party," he continued. The details were still a little fuzzy but were getting clearer the more he spoke.

Ignis nodded absently, like his mind was somewhere else and didn't speak.

"You were talking to a bunch of stuffy looking old men in suits."

"It was the New Year's party they had every year at the Citadel," Ignis' voice sounded far off. "We'd been together for three months then."

"Yeah...and there was this particular man talking to you about some great ideas he had, or had thought were great ideas anyway." Prompto could envision this whole memory now, down to the gray suit Ignis had been wearing with the green tie that matched his eyes.

"I noticed the way your hand was thrumming against your thigh as you spoke. Sometimes you would stop for a little bit then start it again randomly. So I knew it wasn't a beat you were tapping out. I decided to conduct a little experiment, then."

A ghost of a smile tickled Ignis' smile. "You started off by asking if I liked the champagne, which I had. Very much so. Especially since it was something alcoholic."

"The tapping stopped. Then I mentioned that I liked the other man's tie and asked if you would buy me one exactly like it. Right in front of the other guy."

"And I said yes, knowing very well that I had told you some time prior how much I had hated that damn tie. However, I could not say that in front of the man."

"The tapping started again."

"I remember you asked me questions that whole night. It wasn't until we were back at my apartment that you had told me the reason for it. I remember telling you how impressed I was with how observant you were."

"And I told you that was what made me like photography so much. It was because I got to observe things and growing up with no friends had also allowed me time to be observant of everything."

"I had to hide my hands around you. Especially when it was around your birthday and Christmas."

"I was a little menace," Prompto smiled.

"You were," Ignis returned the smile.

For once, things seemed to be normal.

"Do you remember that was the first night you spent at my place?" The question was asked with hesitance and Ignis looked down at his still steaming cup of coffee.

Prompto was instantly reminded of his dream even though he knew that event had happened months after. "N-No, I don't," he said, being honest. He didn't remember that part of the night. "I just remember the party and a little after." _I wished I remembered all of it_ he wanted to say. _I wish I remembered how I came to spend the night and how we woke up the next morning._

"Oh," Ignis said, giving him a weak smile. "That's okay. I'm just glad you've started to remember some things."

"Yeah, me too," Prompto said, feeling the atmosphere go from light to awkward. "Well, I'm going to go on a quick run. Hopefully, I won't melt. I'll be back in time for breakfast with everyone."

And with that, Prompto literally ran away.

\-----------------------

When Ignis woke up to light peeking through the crack in the hotel room's thick curtains and Gladio's snores, he knew that whatever sleep he had gotten wasn't nearly enough. In fact, with how heavy his eyelids were, it felt like he'd gotten no sleep at all. But that was nothing a cool shower and a hot cup of coffee couldn't fix.

After his shower, Ignis walked down to the small cafe right outside of the Leville. There he ordered a cup of their strongest coffee (which was pretty damn strong) and decided not to put any cream or sugar in the dark liquid. The bitterness of the coffee went well with the bitterness he was feeling inside.

He was staring at his reflection in the black liquid in his cup when something caught his eye. Looking up, Ignis saw Prompto. Immediately, his heart started to race, like it always did when he saw Prompto. But then it remembered that this wasn't the same Prompto from two weeks ago and it sank in Ignis' chest.

"Good morning, Prompto," he called, thankful his voice didn't crack like the crack in his heart.

"Uh, morning," Prompto returned, looking a little uncomfortable. There was a flush on his cheeks.

"You're up quite early. Did you sleep well?"

"Um...yeah!" He answered rather quickly. "Did you?"

Ignis remembered the events of the night before, mostly where he laid on his side, staring at the wall. He drummed fingers along the ceramic of his cup. "I did."

When Prompto accused him of lying, he was shocked. But as Prompto explained how he knew, a seed of hope was planted deep in Ignis' chest and as Prompto talked about the night he discovered Ignis' tell, that seed began to grow.

Prompto was remembering things!

However, when Ignis had asked if Prompto remembered that night being the first night Prompto had stayed the night, the blonde had grown uncomfortable. Understandably so. Though he was remembering some things, Ignis was still a stranger to him and bringing up sleeping together was a way too intimate thing for near strangers.

Ignis knew he needed to be patient. Especially when bringing up those things made Prompto run from him.

It wasn't long after that Gladio joined him at the table with a still very sleepy Noctis. Ignis was surprised Noct was even up. Gladio definitely had a hand in that.

"Where's Prompto?" Noct asked after a massive yawn. "Have you seen him this morning, Specs?"

"Yes, I did. He went on a quick run before breakfast. He should be back soon." He took a sip of his coffee, this time wincing at how it was now cold  _ and _ bitter. "How did you sleep, your highness?"

Noct's answer was taking the cup from Ignis' hands and taking a large sip before nearly coughing it back up. "Dude, that is so gross," he said wiping his mouth and putting his head down on the table. "Wake me up when Prompto comes back."

Ignis rolled his eyes fondly at his charge, then turned to his other friend. "Will Iris be joining us this morning?"

"Naw. She said she'd chop off a body part if I woke her up this morning." Gladio gulped down the rest of Ignis' cold coffee without even a wince. "And I figure since she's got that fancy sword now, she'll go through with the threat."

"Hey, I have a sword, too," Noct mumbled, face still pressed into the table. "Several of them in fact and that still didn't stop you from waking  _ me _ up."

Gladio slapped him on the back. "Well, I'm not scared of you."

Noct just grumbled before he seemed to have spotted something over Ignis' shoulder. Prompto, most likely because he sat up with a smile and waved.

"Hey, Prom," he called.

Prompto approached their table slightly out of breath and sweaty. His hair was already starting to go limp. He plopped in the seat between Noct and Ignis. "It was not a good idea to go running in this town," he said. "I thought I would be safe since it's still morning. Nope."

"I'll get you some water," Ignis said and waved the waiter down to ask for a glass of ice water.

"Thank you."

The water came quickly as the waiter had seen the state Prompto was in. The blonde had nearly gulped down the whole thing before Gladio finished giving his order. But he was already looking better. After their order was in, Prompto and Noct spoke amongst themselves while Ignis looked on in envy and Gladio piped in every once in a while.

It wasn't until after they ate their breakfast did Prompto even look Ignis' way. "So...um, you all wanted to go on a few hunts?" He sounded unsure but he mostly addressed Ignis.

"Yes, I believe that was the plan. I would feel more comfortable if we had some gil in our pockets."

"Yeah," Gladio agreed. "We're running low on funds, food and potions. For being royalty, Noct here is pretty damn poor."

Noct rolled his eyes and continued eating. "Sorry, I can't flash around my platinum card anymore."

"Well, I know where we can sign up for a few hunts. The guy, Al, seems like a pretty nice guy."

"Maybe we can go there after breakfast?" Ignis suggested. 

"Sure! I kind of want to get out of these clothes, though," Prompto frowned down at his sweat damp shirt. "I know we'll get even sweatier on the hunts but I'd rather not start off already like this."

"Of course," Ignis responded.  _ I wish I could help you take the clothes off _ , the naughty part of his brain said. Old Prompto would have blushed but would have tugged Ignis into his room to do much more than take clothes off. This Prompto might run away screaming.

However, that plan was derailed when they ran into Iris, Jared and Jared's grandson Talcott in the lobby. Talcott was excitedly jumping in place with a big grin as he told the story of a weapon hidden behind a waterfall. 

Prompto barely had time to change before they were off driving in the Regalia. Iris had insisted on coming along and chattered away happily with Noct in the back seat. Gladio shot Noct amused looks over his sister's head. In the front seat, Prompto clasped his hands in his lap, looking afraid to touch anything.

"You can pick a channel to listen to, if you wish, Prompto," Ignis said, trying to find ways to start a conversation with the man he loved.

"Uh...not thanks." He buried his hands deeper into his lap and squirmed a little in place. "I don't want to smudge anything."

"Prompto, de-" He paused. "The radio was meant to be touched and played. You won't smudge anything. In fact you should have seen the Regalia before we made it to Lestallum. Too many dirt roads caused a layer of dust and mud to cover the car."

"I bet it still looked beautiful," Prompto murmured.

"No, I'm afraid not. The old girl really needed a car wash."

The conversation was awkward, they were talking about a vehicle after all, but they were talking and that was all that mattered to Ignis. Knowing that Prompto was remembering things, he hoped maybe some mundane things would help trigger other memories.

Sometime later, Ignis pulled up to a rest stop's parking lot. "We'll be on foot from here. The waterfall Talcott told us about is down those steps." Noct grumbled as he exited the car but led the group.

"At least it's not as hot here as Lestallum," Prompto said from his side. Ignis walked not far behind them. Iris and Gladio brought up the rear, where they were teasing and poking fun at one another.

"Yeah, that's one good thing."

When they finally reached the waterfall, Ignis turned his head when he heard Prompto gasp. "I wish I had my camera," he whispered. Ignis had been close enough to hear and nodded. 

"Yes, this would have made for a beautiful picture."

"Yeah, especially with you in it."

Ignis started. "What did you say?" That had been such a Prompto thing to say and for a moment, he held his breath.

"I said, this is an amazing view."

"Oh." And just like that Ignis deflated.

"All right," Noct spoke up as he summoned one of his weapons from the armiger and not noticing his heartbroken Advisor. "Let's get that Sword."


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was going to be MUCH longer but I knew it has been awhile since I've updated so I decided to split it. I hope you all enjoy and I hope you all are staying safe out there :)

Of course entering the cave couldn't be easy. In order to get to the path leading up to the waterfall, they first had to get past three giant, crab-like creatures. The group had tried to get past them peacefully but when one made a snap at Iris, Gladio swung and the fight began.

"Hmm, do you think they're edible?" Ignis mused, waiting for an opening, his daggers at the ready.

"Let's tear them apart and find out!" Noct cried before leaping into battle.

The battle didn't last long and soon they were running up the path, three crab corpses behind them. Ignis would have to wait another day to find out if the creatures were edible. For now, they had much more pressing matters to attend to. Like finding another Royal Arm.

The first thing Prompto noticed when they entered the cave was the darkness. Noct, Gladio, Iris and Ignis all pressed something on their chests and were awarded with a beam of light. Prompto didn't have one of those lights.

"Stay close to me," Ignis whispered, noticing the blonde's dilema. "When we return to the LeVille, I will get you your own light. We will be doing some fightin in the dark, especially if Noct has any say."

"And by the way, Prom. I have all the say," Noct said smugly. Prompto laughed at his friend. However, the moment of levity was soon interrupted by the sound of skittering claws on stone.

"Daemons," Gladio growled, gripping his very large sword. Iris did the same with hers, mirroring her brother's stance.

Prompto had never encountered a daemon, at least that he remembered. Insomnia hadn't had a daemon attack in years. He'd gone against wild animals before, though. He hoped that daemons were no different than them.

\---------------------

Daemons were definitely different from wild creatures.

For one, some of them looked humanoid while others looked so grotesque that Prompto knew he'd have nightmares that night. One thing they all seemed to have in common, though, was the screams they made as they died. Prompto shuddered thinking about it.

Noct and company had shown no fear as they slayed their way through the cave and Prompto did his best not to, too. Ignis hovered near him the whole time and Prompto felt comfort in his proximity. They fought well together, as they dipped and dodged daemons in sync. At one point, Ignis got his attention with a, "Prompto,darling. Duck." and Prompto did just that as one of Ignis' daggers flew over his head.

When they finally reached the tomb, all of them were out of breath. Even Gladio.

Noctis went into the tomb and came out moments later with a new sword. The group admired the Royal Arm for a minute before it was time to get out of the cave. The sounds of daemons were getting closer and they wanted to make sure it was still light out when they got back.

Fortunately, it was easier leaving than coming in. The Royal Arm of Noct's packed quite a punch and the daemons didn't stand a chance.

Prompto felt the adrenaline in his veins and felt a boost of confidence hit him. He skipped up to Ignis, who was walking behind the group. "So, Iggy," he said with a cheeky grin. "I learned how to drive my freshman year, so I still remember how to do it. Do you think I could drive the Regalia sometime?"

Ignis gave him a look. One between surprised and 'hell no'. "Maybe one of these days. It'll have to be a quiet back road, of course. With no obstacles to crash into or run over. We do not have the funds to repair the Regalia at the moment."

"Hey!" Prompto protested. "I can drive without crashing! In fact, I've driven your car perfectly fine before!"

Ignis stopped walking at that and so did everyone else.

"You've driven Spec's car before? But you don't remember him and when we were fifteen, he would have never let us anywhere near his car." Noct was looking at him with a mix of confusion and hopefulness.

They were right. If he didn't remember ignis, how did he remember driving his car? But Prompto could easily picture it. He was driving the streets of Insomnia, behind the wheel of a luxury car. The leather of the steering wheel creaked in his hands as he drove somewhat...recklessly through the streets and hitting people! 

No, not people. Things. Magitek with glowing red eyes.

Prompto told them all of this. Their eyes grew wide but no one spoke. He continued, "When I got passed the gate, one of the soldiers shot out a tire and I crashed into the fence." He looked sheepishly at Ignis. "I guess this time I really couldn't drive without crashing."

Ignis gave him a weak smile. "It's okay. Keep going."

"Well, I..." the memory was getting clearer. "I grabbed my stuff, got out of the car and started to make a run for it down some steps. When I looked back, there was this ball of fire that hit the car and it...exploded. I remember being sent flying and then, everything went black. When I came to, I was at the bottom of the steps with a pounding headache and lying in a pool of blood."

That explained his memory loss! He had hit his head pretty hard and if he was remembering this, which was fairly recent, maybe he would start to remember everything else soon. It gave Prompto a seed of hope and he glanced at Ignis, whose smile was a little wider now. Like he was thinking the same thing.

Then, his smile vanished. Replaced with a frown. "That means we were so close," he said in almost a whisper. Four pairs of confused eyes looked his way.

"When we went back to check on Insomnia," he explained. "If we had gone to the gate, we might have found Prompto." His hand started to clench at his side as he recalled Gladio telling him that it wasn't a good idea to go back but a freckled hand reached out and gripped his wrist.

"I would have still had memory loss, no matter when you found me." Though he was speaking to everyone, his eyes never left Ignis. "Yeah, it would have saved me from walking several miles in the heat but that's how I met Victor, Jasmine and Rose. Things just happen for a reason."

Ignis took a deep breath and gave Prompto another weak smile. "Since when did you sound so wise?"

Prompto's eyes went comically wide. "Wasn't I always?"

"Now I must be the one suffering from memory loss because I definitely don't remember that!" Gladio ribbed Prompto with an elbow to his side.

"Hey!" Prompto protested, taking a swipe at the bigger man.

And just like that, the mood lightened.

\------------------

However, that soon changed when they got back to LeStallum. Because of course, they couldn't have nice things.

They said their goodbyes to Iris, who wanted to head back to the LeVille to check on Jared and Talcott. The four men decided to make their way to Al, to see if there were any available hunts nearby since they had some time to kill before dark. They didn't make it far before Noct stumbled and clutched his head with a hiss.

Prompto was the first to grab and steady him. "What's wrong, dude?" The other two men hovered nearby.

"Headache," he gritted out.

"Another one?" Ignis asked.

"Yeah. But worse." 

Prompto led Noct to a bench under the shade of a tree on the steps leading up to the middle of the city. "What should we do?" He asked, having not experienced this yet.

"There isn't much we can do," Ignis said with a sigh, not used to feeling useless. "No amount of medicine eases the pain. We just have to wait it out with him."

Prompto wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulders. "I'm sorry, buddy."

"It's okay," Noct winced and rubbed at his temples. "I'm just glad you're here."

"Me too," he smiled. Prompto was glad they had found him. Now, he just wanted all of his memories to return. Ignis deserved-

"Are we having a bit of trouble here?" A deep, accented voice interrupted Prompto's thoughts. The voice was unfamiliar to Prompto but that didn't seem to be the case for his friends. Their faces were guarded as they looked up at an oddly dressed man.

The man was wearing too many layers to be comfortable in the LeStallum heat. Immediately, Prompto didn't trust him.

"We're fine," Ignis answered. "It just seems the heat has gotten to us a bit."

"How unfortunate," the man cooed. "You see, I came over here because it seems I have some information you may find valuable. Information that involves the Archean. But if you do not feel up to it, I suppose we can meet at another time."

This grabbed Noctis' attention, like the man must have known it would. Earlier, they had spoken about visiting the Archean before coming to LeStallum. If the man had any information, like he said, Noct wanted to hear. Even if he didn't trust him. At all.

"Wait," the dark-haired prince said. Ignis squeezed his shoulder but he shrugged it and stood with a slight wince. "Tell us."

"Actually...it's something I'll have to show you."

Noct didn't even look at his Advisor for instruction. "Show us, then."

\--------------------

They followed the odd man to his car, which was parked only a few spots away from the Regalia. The man offered to give them a ride but Noct quickly refused the offer. Instead they would follow behind in the Regalia with Ignis at the wheel. This would give the four of them an opportunity to chat and strategize a plan in case things went south.

Prompto fidgeted in the passenger's seat as Ignis followed a safe distance behind the man. The sky was beginning to pinken and Prompto wondered if they would be reaching their destination soon. While the man hadn't said how long they'd be on the road for, they hadn't thought it would be  _ this _ long.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw Noct dozing with his arms crossed over his chest and Gladio was reading one of his romance novels. Noct's headache had subsided some time ago, much to all of his friend's reliefs. Hopefully after seeing the Archen, things would calm down for the young royal.

Up ahead, the man pulled off to the side of the road and into a...station...? Surely this was not where they would be seeing one of the Astrals. Ignis sighed but had no choice but to pull into a parking spot beside the man, who was already out of his car and heading their way.

The man smirked as he spoke, "I suggest we stay the night. We won't reach our destination before the night and with the daemons..."

Noct looked like he wanted to protest but a stern look from Ignis cut him off. "Yes, we understand the need to stop," Ignis answered. "We'll make camp at the closest haven for the night."

"Camp? Nonsense! Take the caravan. My treat."

Again Noct wanted to speak but Ignis beat him to it. "That is very kind of you. Thank you."

"I will settle the account at the store and will see the four of you bright and early tomorrow morning!" With a final wave, the heavily layered man walked away.

No one moved until they were sure he was out of earshot and then, Noct was the first to speak. "What the hell, Specs? That dude is creepy as hell and we're just accepting him paying for a night in the caravan? He probably booby-trapped it to slaughter us in the middle of the night!"

Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose. "I see that you still have your imagination, your highness."

"I kind of agree with Noct," Prompto spoke up. "It's like we just took candy from a stranger and now, he's luring us into his creepy white van." Noct held out an approving fist bump to Prompto, which he tapped with a smile.

"I get where Iggy's coming from," Gladio said. "At camp, we'd be on edge and exhausted in the morning. This way we can be well-rested for whatever that creep has in store for us."

"That's part of it," Ignis added. "Also, accepting his charity, there'd be no questions asked from him...and I really wanted him to stop talking."

There was a silent pause before the group burst into laughter.

Noct slung an arm around Prompto's shoulders, still chuckling. "You probably forgot about this but Specs isn't actually funny."

"I beg your pardon!" Ignis cried. "Prompto, dear. Don't listen to him. I am hilarious when the time calls for it."

Actually, Prompto wasn't listening to anyone at the moment. Instead, his mind was flashing with images, memories. Images of him and Ignis lying in bed, curled into each other. Laughing. Sometimes they were clothed and other times, they were...naked. Prompto could see the love they felt for each other clearly. It made his heart ache.

"Prompto?" Someone nudged him. Noct. "You okay?"

"Y-Yeah," he answered. "Just got lost in my thoughts there."

"Trying to remember a time Ignis was funny, right?" Gladio elbowed him with a smile. "Tellin' ya, you ain't going to find anything."

"Oh, shut up, you!"

This sent the group into another round of laughter as they made their way to the caravan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if things seems kind of slow right now. I'm working on speeding things up in the coming chapters.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from a song that I've never listened to but thought fitting for this story. It may change. I don't know.
> 
> This will not exactly follow the events of the game but I'm going to try to stay somewhat close to them.
> 
> I will hopefully update this once a week and already have most of the next chapter written. If you find any errors, please let me know. :)
> 
> Thank you again for giving this a chance!!


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